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.