Editorial Opinion If the government started calling people into the Army tomorrow, would you have to go? Could the army delay your graduation by pitting you in khaki? It is anybody's guess. The military says that the all volunteer army is not providing the armed forces with the personnel that would be needed if they had to mobilize quickly for war. In a 1978 hearing before a Senate subcommittee, military of ficials said "The full wartime organizational strength for units in the National Guard and Reserve is about 706,000. However, the actual strength of the Selected Reserve as of November 30, 1977, was about 542,000. Their accompanying proposal was a . limited reinstatement of the Selective Service System., which would register and classify all youths ages 17 to 26. There would also be pre-lottery as signments to "alert regis trants of their potential vul- A sign of no heart I write this letter wishing it did not have to be written. It has been brought to my attention that signs that reserve parking spaces for handicapped students are being stolen. The motive of this behavior escapes me. Certainly such signs are colorful, perhaps a bit unusual, but I fail to understand why a person would want to decorate his room with the inconvenience of others. I am certain, at least I hope, that this behavior is undertaken without malice. While oversight and insensitivity constitute no excuse for stealing these signs, these traits are at least less severe in defining the pe'rson who serves to make the lives of handicapped people more trying and difficult. In trying to frame this 'sittiAtien His good td teinembeF thdt,the effect on the handicapped person is the same whether the act is willful, frivolous, careless or mindleSs. Compassion is as important as intellect in defining a truly human being. While this letter is not meant to be an enduring indictment of the people who are stealing these signs, it is hoped that it will cause them to reconsider this behavior and its motivation. With a little opening of the mind and heart, this unfortunate situation can come to a close. Dennis Phifer, coordinator of handicapped student services May 7 Images In the article of May 9 titled "Black Students Consider White Attitudes Insensitive" I am quoted as having said the "image here will never change." In the course of my discussion with 'Mr. Ratner, these words were spoken, however, in the context of the accessibility of the University Park Campus and the perception of the "typical" student (white, middle class) attending the University. I'm writing because the additional comment within the context just mentioned was the image will not change unless we continue to show that we are not isolated from the rest of the world and that there are positive factors which affect the lives of Black students and staff at the University (University Park in particular). All of this has to do with the choices we make at this University, not only in the 'Bos but as long as the doors of this great institution remain open. The issue of choices with respect to faculty (and staff) are addressed in the Task Force 111 report on the Plan for the 'Bos. In part it states: "In making appointments, awarding tenure and promoting, the University makes a statement about what the University considers im portant to its mission. Lack of minority and female ap pointments, promotions, arid the granting of tenure will reinforce the statement of what is important to the University to those who have not been informed of our efforts." A key element in the understanding of this University is the perception of what is important. The article clearly reflects the perceptual differences. If we continue to improve on our "statement" of what is important .to the University with regard to Black students, these differences may be reduced or, hopefully, eliminated. . Not too bright In the two-part forum about solar energy in the May 1 and 2 Collegian, Jeffery Cope mentions the previous articles in the Collegian that were not responsible and well-researched. The following points are why Cope's articles are the worst of these. 1. The safety systems at Three Mile Island didn't just barely work. They worked better than anyone would have thought given the circumstances. 2. Energy consumption has doubled since 1963 and there is no direct relation between happiness and energy growth ac cording to Mr. Cope., Maybe there is a relationship, however, between energy growth, population growth and economic growth. 3. The maximum temperature of uranium in a nuclear reactor is about 3,700 F, which is considerably less than the reported 10,000 degrees. 4. Heating houses, which solar energy may be good for, is only a very small part of the United States' electrical needs. How can the steel mills in Pittsburgh or the auto manufac turers in Detroit be supplied with power from windmills and solar? Come on, be realistic! 5. Jeff Cope predicts our coal supply will last 40-50years,not the usually predicted 500-3,000 years. What makes him any more qualified to make these predictions than those he quotes? Nothing. If anything he is much less qualified. In reality no one really knows how much coal, oil, uranium . . . we have in reserve. Our old friend the draft is raising his head again, and, in some form, he's probably here to stay nerability to induction." They said the system would not in clude induction and would be solely limited to registration for wartime mobilization. The problem is that, a lot of people simply do not trust the Army. When a Selective Service list says you are next to go, it's hard to assure yourself that Uncle Sam will not call. But whatever happened to the all-volunteer Army? Even in 1968, when the draft was in full swing, first enlistments accounted for 513,088 members of the Army, while inductions accounted for 339,596. Why, now that we are at peace, are not enough people joining? It could be due to the nature of the '7os. Youth seems less concerned about all public issues and more worried about trivia like careers, salaries and families. Uncle Sam retreated from Vietnam without showing the veterans and, survivors what they fought for. Not even the "Red William Asbury Affirmative Action Officer May 9 This is the army, Mrs Jones! Letters to the Editor 6. Mr. Cope compares a 15 percent efficient solar cell to a 6 percent overall efficient automobile. These two things have nothing at all in common. He should, in fact, compare this 15 percent efficiency with the 32 percent of a nuclear power plant or the 38 percent of a coal plant. 7. The worst thing Mr. Cope does in his article is mislead the public in regards to the cost of solar heating. He states that a solar system costing $2OO-$5OO than can be made and installed by homeowners will provide 50-75 percent of heating and hot water. This could never be done in State College, or most of the United States for that matter. As for making it and installing it yourself, we're sure your grandmother would have a fine time. Such blatant disregard for public intelligence shows a tremendous arrogance on the part of Jeffery Cope. The White House currently, is installing a solq . hot,water„systemin the, west wing only. This is going to costis2B,ooo to install! , , We are not against solar power, nor do we believe nuclear and coal are miracle cures for our energy problems. The United States must use solar power where it can, but we must also rely on fossil fuels and nuclear fuel to supply us with the energy we need today. We would sure hate to see people's lights go out and factories close down for lack of electricity, but that is what is going to happen if all the ill-informed anti-nuclear radicals have their way. Totally irrelevant In the May 4 issue of The Daily Collegian, a letter appeared commenting on the donation of our general deposits to the Senior Class Gift. If Mr. McKee and Mr. Zuk would have taken the time to carefully read the letter from the Office of Gifts and Endowments, they would have found that the basis for their claims against the University were totally irrelevant in this case. The letter supported an endowment scholarship to be given to a deserving student in the name of the outstanding teaching professor for each year, starting this fall. We are not donating our general deposits to the University, but rather to students like ourselves worthy of such an bobor. We have many fond memories of our years at PSU and fully support the suggested Senior Glass Gift. LORDiii OVRYTI-lINO seems To Be AGAINST Me LATals I Threat" looks as menacing while it bargains for a SALT treaty. Military service isn't a duty, an honor or romantic anymore. It's become a job. But even as J a job op portunity, the all-volunteer Army is running into problems. In the same .1978 report noted above, military officials said, "Over 98 percent of all personnel in terviewed stated that they got everything that was guaranteed to them in writing (skill, training, unit of choice, bonuses) but an equal per centage felt exploited regarding verbal promises. The major complaints cen tered around education, duty assignments, options to transfer and the quality of military life. "Enlistees were told that they would get to attend college courses in the evenings and on weekends. In fact, 90 percent of those personnel who had applied for college coursework were Greg Stasik 12th-nuclear engineering Ray Costlow 12th-electrical engineering May? Paul Suhey 12th-general arts and sciences • Paul Simon 12th-general arts and sciences May 7 PIO repeatedly turned down by their Unit Comthanders. A few had taken courses but often had to drop out for field training, guard duty or other functions." • Maybe the Army should leave the over-sell to Madison Avenue: By promising more The best it can do This letter is in response to your front-page article which appeared on May 9 concerning white insensitivity. This article was expressly written to expel myths regarding blacks and to point out insensitivities of whites with regard to blacks. It is very sad that this article contained a statement from a "high level white administrator" who claims he has no difficulty relating to blacks. This individual made reference to black people's liking for chicken in "certain ways." I was offended by this statement. I must admit that I'm never surprised when I see such derrogatory statements in the Collegian, but this time I just had to say something about it. After the incident involying the several ads ,copied from a South' AfriCan publication I :hived that • the- Collegian 'would `make a greater effort to be aware of black sensitivities. On the other hand, maybe the Collegian is doing the best it can do. Now that is an extremely depressing thought. Greek week For the past two years on the Associated Student Activities Budget Committee, I have watched the Interfraternity Council and Panhel try their best to involve independents in Spring Week activities. In the process, they have appealed to ASA and were funded $5,800 this year and $7,900 last spring, with most of the money going to the carnival and tent at the IM fields. But Spring Week has largely failed to interest the in dependents, probably because activities like the chariot race and skits are most interesting to those who participate, and because there are so many other events during Spring Term (East Week scheduled an all-day concert at the East Halls quad the same Saturday as the Spring Week carnival ). By making Spring Week exclusively for Greeks, IFC and Panhel will assume responsibility for funding and save the students money. And, as one IFC executive suggested to me, perhaps now they can concentrate on involving the entire student body with Homecoming instead. The boob tube Bravo to Gunnar Hughes' article ("Kids plus TV equals real danger" May 2) which identifies the main issues on the effects of TV on children. The example given by Hughes about Soupy Sales telling kids to send him money is a good example of how literally and seriously children interpret thingsMnother point he makes is that commercials tend to be as bad if not worse TRY PAIN NG ? than they- can or will deliver, recruiters defeat their own purpose. A straight-forward outline of what enlistment entails would, in the long run, attract more recruits than puffy promises. Realistically, though, mandatory registration is a Marilyn Paul graduate-psychology May 9 Laura Rowader 12th-accounting May 7 - tie RecessioN „, fair demand. The military needs to know what it would be working with in case of war. Right now, they can only guess how many able'-bodies could go to war. But a listing of who would be whisked off first is too much to ask too soon after Vietnam. than the programs themselves because children do not view them objectively. Perhaps advertising directly aimed at children under the age of about eight should be outlawed for this reason. Although I feel that TV helps in the socialization process of children, it does not always reflect reality to them. Because of this distortion, I believe it is the job of the family to protect young children from certain programs. I am not implying that TV is all bad. An hour or two a day would not hurt anybody, but I do hope that we prevent our children from becoming TV addicts who watch 4 and 5 hours a day. Just a plebian, too This is in reference to Monday's Forum "Let's also enlist the not so busy."-' • I wholeheartedly agree that the•average student should b6l involved in every process. I do feel that through this article:: Ms. Northrop disregarded the reasons that we are so-called:• "student leaders." I am very flattered to be considered elite; . ' but in reality I'm no better than Joe Student. The only ad-• vantage that we have is being aware of organizational structures and having the ability to effect change through. them. I do believe that there are many interested studerits:: whose talents have not been tapped. It should be the respon# sibility of the student leaders to encourage participation. Another disturbing factor in the article that Bonnie , is unaware of is that as a result of last Monday's Town Day,, action is being taken. I for one am a member of USQ,• organizing a committee for anti-vandalism This is your chance to be involved! What a man! While reading Bob Frick's column (Tuesday's Collegian) .% thought of how brave he must be. For I was always taught tha if someone willingly rushed headlong into danger he was eithe brave or very foolish. And we know he can't be that foolish, cart he? . - So, he must be brave to deal with technology to let it slowly inflict him with its hazards and poisons, and without even putting up a whimper. What a man! I bet when he wants drink, he gets a pitcher full of good, clearly polluted, sewagel tainted river water and drinks it with a smile. They'll probably, when he dies of a technologically induced cancer ; write his epitaph as saying, "He died young, but he died a: man." We did it again! Well, you did it again. It's hard to imagine that you would allow this sort of blatant stupidity after the incident of the South African ads, but apparently you never learn. If you MUST interview "high level white administrators". who feel they must remain anonymous, the least you can do is avoid quoting their more asinine statements on the front pager It does not require sensitivity to recognize the basic ignorance of a remark such as "you know, blacks like chicken a certain way and they can't get it here." It only requires a bard minimal intelligence a level that should not be beyond the; scope of a student newspaper, even if it does tax a University administrator. (Incidentally, I did a little research on this and of the blacks . polled in my survey, not one had a recipe for chicken that was:- unavailable to me.) diat:Zollegm . n Thursday, May 10, 1979—Page 2 Pete Barnes Editor BUSINESS COORDINATORS: Layout, Cindy Bond, Terri Gregos; Cathy Norris; Co-op Advertising, Nancy Tulli. .- Joe Boyle 9th-real estate May 7 Mindy Mozenter: USG SenatoC May 13.: Arthur D. Ritter Jr.: -: 6th-horticulture,o May S: Charolette Gregg: WASP State College area resident; May 9: C) 1979 Collegian Inc. Marjie Schleisinger Business Manager.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers