Editorial opinion
USG must solve current financial problems before tackling a business co-op
USG is thrashing about in dangerous
waters. But instead of learning how to
swim, they're merely treading water.
At the last senate meeting the members
deliberated the formation of a business
Co-op to establish a steady source of
funding. They intend to model the
proposed operation after the Harvard
University Co-op, a professionally run
business separate from the Harvard
student government. The Harvard Co-op
owns five department stores in the Boston
area, and accrues $3O million in gross
income each year
The Harvard Co-op was established 98
years ago to benefit members who
presently have to pay one dollar to join.
Every member receives a rebate on any
Co-op profit. Last year the Harvard Co-op
distributed an 8.8 percent rebate to
members, Harvard Co-op General
ManagerJarnes Argeros said.
USG Senator Chris Calkins said Har
vard's student government receives a
percentage of the profits in return for
directing students to the Co-op's
businesses.
This is wrong the Harvard Co-op only
benefits members, Argeros said.
Calkins also said, "Harvard makes
upwards of $5OO million in gross income
each year."
That's an absurd figure. Argeros said
the Harvard Co-op:makes $3O million at
Interpreting law
This is in response to the March 17 article by
Lieber and Amchin of Yachad, the Zionist
student organization.
The constraints of time and space do not
permit a detailed response to the questionable
statements abundantly contained in the above
mentioned article. Nevertheless, my major
concern is, the confidence with which these
gentlerden have seemingly set out to reinterpret
indml, to rewrite international law.
According to these writers, the Israeli set
tlements in the occupied Arab territories "are
legal under international law." They, in fact,
.levy sharp criticism against the Carter ad
ministration's position of illegality and
---
111)1) GE T
Pt. • N
• I
•
PLAN
b .
12+41WrET r
PLAN
4
No'.'Kotter' or commercial breaks in this class ro o
Mediocrity and incrementalism have
become standard conditions within and
throughout our nation's fabric. No more
blatant or tragic can the result of these
policies be seen than in the high schools
in our urban settings
I was fortunate enough to teach in such
a high school during Winter Term. The
discoveries and realizations I en
countered during this 12-week period
have both enlightened and disturbed
myself aria my collegues.
Many of the tragedies about declining
Swimming lessons
r 31)1)CiEl r
PLAN
8
1 fs ‘
PL.
stratlon by Jeff Thomas
best.
USG is considering the tough task of
forming a Co-op, yet can't even get its
facts straight.
Vice President Vicki Sandoe said USG
executives and senate members have lost
much of their control over approving
expenditures due to profit growth.A
business Co-op is far beyond USG's
scope.A house cleaning is in order before
USG lets its ambitions take precedence.
Ernie Hicks, former acting director of
USG's money-making operations,
resigned Monday following numerous
run-ins with the USG Senate concerning
his business methods. Hicks is a shrewd
businessman, but he apparently used his
position solely to further his power within
USG and to monopolize JEM profits at the
expense of other campus
organizations. Hicks' power moves
weren't so effective anyway; • JEM
Productions garnered a smaller profit
from their movies than the Association of
Residence Hall Students , despite that
ARHS does not show X-rated films, ac
cording to an ARHS member.
Hicks departure and subsequent walk
out of a number of his workers marks a
changeover of the basic USG profit
structure. JEM has been merged into USG
in an attempt to avoid the unilateral
actions sometimes taken by Hicks (we
can't forget the wall safe Hicks ordered
Letters to the Editor
characterize administration statements as
"untrue and unsubstantiated."
However, in contrast to the claims of the
"Yachad jurist," there is wide international
consensus that the Israeli settlement policy is
illegal and in breach of specific international
agreements. Apart from the fact that the Zionist
policy of colonization constitutes a defiance of
U.N. resolutions and of the spirit of the U.N.
Charter, there are also the specific obligations
imposed on any occupying power by the Geneva*
Conventiont or the Protection of Civilian Persons
of 1949, of which the Israeli government is a
signatory. - -
Of particular relevance is the requirement
specified in Article 49(6) of the Convention that,
"The Occupying Power shall not deport or
transfer parts of its own civilian population into
the territory it occupies." Not only has the U.S.
SAT scores and comprehension levels of
the entering freshmen at Penn State are
magnified when dealing with the
"average" high school senior. Their
vocabulary is weak, spelling poor,
comprehension limited and writing
almost nonexistent.
Dealing with 17-year-olds in the last
six months of their high school career, I
had expected to find inquisitive,
opinionated individuals eager to express
their thoughts to the world. What I found
were mezmorized, beaten animals with
little imaginative thought or interest.
Mondays were devoted to orals on
topics which the students had months to
decide and research. Most of the topics
were related to the old standbys of
abortion and corporal punishment,
however with a conservative stance
which was surprisingly homogeneous
throughout the school. Their speech was
primitive, logic inane and presentation
awkward.
Shocking? Yes, it should be. Many
students walk though the schools without
ever learning to read a sentence or write
an essay. Many graduate totally un
prepared to face the world.
But this doesn't happen everywhere;
some schools are worse. My students
were respectful, quiet individuals who
would yield to the teacher's position in
the classroom. In many schools, the
teachers are threatened and the classes
are disruptive. The teachers and ad-
State Department formally observed the Israeli
settlements to be in contravention of Article
49(6) but their illegality has been state by the
International Commission of Jurists in lengthy
legal analyses.
The position held by the U.S. government on
this question has been consistent since the June
1967 hostilities, i.e., maintained by the Johnson,
Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations.
The Israeli government has, however, con
tested thc, conclusions of international jurist
positing at various times either the nonap
plicability of the Geneva Convention to the
territories conquered in-the June War, or- the
nature of the settlements as security outposts
vital to Israel's defenses. Israeli arguments, as
observed by one legal analyst, employ an ob
scure method of treaty interpretation not known
in international law or in any civilized legal
system.
That Lieber and Amchin may have embraced
as their premise the "scholarly" statements of
Menachem Begin, who has described Israeli
settlements as "legal, legitimate and essential,"
is rather disconcerting. Perhaps they may be
encouraged to consider the conclusions of
another Israeli, Nathan Feinberg, professor of
international law emeritus of the Hebrew ,
University of Jerusalem.
Writing in "Haaretz," Feinberg argues that
the Convention is indeed applicable and that
Article 49(6) does prohibit the Israeli set
tlements in occupied territories. Furthermore,
he decisively rejects the legal arguments of the
Israeli government as fundmentally inconsistent
With both Israeli national interests and in
ternational law.
Naheel Dejany, graduate-human development
March 18
A serious flaw
The writing of this letter is prompted by the
ludicrous process in which students were
compelled to participate in order to secure a
ministration were quick to point out this
fact to me, seemed quite pleased that the
classes were controllable and felt that
this was enough to expect from the
students.
As a teacher I should be happy with
this and not worry about the fact that
many of the students cannot and would
not learn to read even the most basic
material or write even a simple sen
tence. My exams should also reflect this
philosophy just give multiple choice
on simple facts that the students could
memorize and understand easily. Don't
try to tax the students' brains, they are
seniors and if they have not learned
already, they would never learn.
Education is the cornerstone of our
society. Without proper education, talent
may never be revealed or promise
realized. Television has given society an
easy way to entertain itself. However,
there are many not-so-pleasant side
effects. The classes I taught expected a
"Phil Donohue" talk show in a
"Welcome Back, Kotter" setting. They
without USG and University consent)
which exacerbated the internal strife
hindering USG effectiveness. Time will
only tell if the new staff will be more or
less effective in working with USG as part
of the whole, rather than a separate unit.
USG would have to include all campus
organizations if it decides to pursue in
vestment in any downtown business.
Relations between campus organizations
have been inconsistent in the past; USG's
attempts to convince other organizations
to commit themselves to a difficult task
may be insurmountable. ARHS President
Steve Osborn said there is no cohesion
among campus organizations.
USG President Hal Shaffer said nothing
definite was decided about the Co-op idea,
rather USG is just "brainstorming," but
considering the present financial
problems plaguing USG, it seems
ludicrous the student government would
even spend a large segment of an im
portant meeting mulling over the Co-op
idea. Especially since the senate still
hasn't decided its pay structure.
The Harvard , Co-op is a large
organization employing more than 600
students and faculty members.USG does
not possess the resources to pursue a
business Co-op
The business Co-op idea is akin to USG
trying to stand dry on the dock when it can
barely keep its head above water.
wanted a 15-minute commercial break
and felt uncomfortable about sitting for
more than 27 minutes engaged in the
same plot or subject
Education must be taught in an en
joyable setting, with teachers behaving
like entertainers, otherwise students are
bored and unattentive. My cooperating
teacher explained to me that I should
present the information is such a way
that the students would not realize they
are learning. Also it must be en
tertaining enough so the students would
not switch their mental channels and
daydream instead of listen.
Television is not the only factor that
has contributed to the decline in
scholastic achievement. The most up
setting discovery which I encountered
was the attitude of the teachers them-,
selves. Many saw their position not as a
professional endeavor, but only as a job,
period. Unfortunately, most handled
their position with a mechanized style
and approach that was neither updated
nor humanized.
Education and the teacher's subject
area were not to be worried about or
even talked about amongst themselves.
Their concerns were their pay and the
union's contract. Obviously this is not all
the teachers, however, it is much more
prevelant in this society than people
would like to believe.
As students at Penn State we have all
survived the high schools and graduated
POS
dorm contract for next year. This problem was
caused by the fact that there is simply in
sufficient campus housing space. My source for
this letter is "A Perspective on the 80s: Agenda
for Action for Penn State University," which
states:
At University Park, housing both on- and off
campus has experienced an extremely high
occupancy rate throughout the '7os. This
crowded situation has permitted little flexibility
to experiment with alternative on-campus
configurations and has provided little op
portunity to monitor the quality of off-campus
facilities.
The need to replace the obsolete Nittany Halls
and to house a greater number of freshmen as
the mix of students at University Park changes
in the decade ahead , suggests that the
availability of on-campus housing be reassessed
at University Park. If need is demonstrated,
planning for construction should begin soon.
Allow me to demonstrate a need. I see
residence as being the student's foundation
during his or her college life. A comfortable
`home' enhances the security of a student. An
uncomfortable atmosphere can make college a
miserable experience for even a seemingly well
adjusted student. Cramped conditions,
inadequate facilities and study areas increase
the probability of roommate problems and a
generally chaotic environment.
Many choose to live on-campus because it is
conducive to participating in student activities.
Others just prefer the convenient lifestyle.
Statistics gathered from a study on freshmen
have indicated that dorm residents achieve
higher grades. In addition, more dorm rather
than off-campus residents continue their
academic career to the attainment of a degree.
This University is located in an isolated, rural
area of Pennsylvania thereby enabling only a
minute percentage of students to commute. This
creates a housing need. Housing space is
reserved for sorority and interest house mem
bers, athletes and freshmen. Upperclassmen
who choose to live on-campus need to be given
the same consideration.
with a better experience then the
students that I have just described. But,
as members of this society and perhaps
future parents of the students of the
schools that exist today, all of us are
going to have to someday be aware and
concerned of the problems that are
already rampant in the schools.
With declining funds and little at
tention given to this institution, the
situation and the problems could
potentially become worse, and the
results fatal.
None of us are immune to the effects
the school has on the student. Even
though we may not be directly affected
by the problems, the results will not
escape us. All the solutions have tried to
change only a small part of the problem.
Only if we all realize the tremendous
PRE • Kit Noi S
l e #6
or
/ 6 ANDERSON
414
The present inertia on dorm construcgibn is
due to a fear that student enrollment will decline';
during the 'Bos based on the following data: •
The age 18-22 group, from which over 70
percent of undergraduate enrollments are
drawn, is expected to fall by 27 percent between
1978-1990, paralleling a 31 percent decline in bigh
school graduates.
However, further research reveals that at
Penn State only a 10 percent decline is expected
from an enrollment of 41,900 in 1978 to 37,700 in
1990 assuming college participation fates •
remain stable.
The university is currently attracting more
qualified applicants than can be admitted,' The
recent implementation of an active rectuiting
program both in Pennsylvania and other states
should 'enhance this position particularly since
Penn State offers 70 programs not available
elsewhere in the state. Of particular note is the
fact that over one-half of the University's more
than 200,000 living alumni are reaching theages
at which their children will be attending allege.
I have tried to illustrate a housing problem.
This is the flaw in a system in which students
must wait up to three days in queue to compete,
for a contract only to get a room in an over
crowded dorm. That's not the way it has to he
Mary Beth O'Brien, 6th-classics
March 18
the lly Col • .
„
Thursday, March 20, 1980— Page 2 (',) 1980 dollegia,
Betsy Long
Editor
BUSINESS COORDINATORS: Layout, Cath
Norris, Michelle Forner, Cindy BondAlico-o
Advertising, Mary Jane Carson; Marketin
Mark Friedberg; Special Projects, Larr
Kerner.
importance of the situation and refine t
put up with the mediocrity can we',liop•
to see any positive future to this:iita
institution. There are no easy sottVonc
but the country's apathy and ignorOnc(l
of this problem surely is not the,:r]ight
approach.
My practicum only lasted a short time,
but the memories will last a lifetinie. I
hope the future will turn my • dismal
outlook into a bright light of hopre f .This
cannot be done without help and- un
derstanding that must not be left to only
the education majors or the teachers; it
must come from the mass populace. If
we don't have an educated society, what
hope can we have?
Bonnie Northrop is a 12th-termeccon
dary education major and a columnist
for The Daily Collegian. •
ANMIGA
Kathy Mathen
Business Manage
NiSlot 2 Y
'9
' ' ' ' ' . " ' ' i ' ' ' ' ' ;; ; ' ' ' ' .... 'i :
D ~;=''',i':...:.:
Ad of,
Illustration by Jett The las
firestone to close Pottstown plant
From our wire services
POTTSTOWN, Pa. (AP) Firestone
TNe & Rubber Co. yesterday announced
the closing of a tire plant in Lower
Pottsgrove Township, one of six
Firestone shutdowns in three states that
will idle a total of 8,500 employees.
Firestone Chairman Richard A. Riley
rride the surprise announcement, which
jolted the ailing rubber industry, in a
prepared statement, saying the shut
downs, slated for completion by Nov. 1,
are part of a restructuring of the com
pany's North American operations.
Besides the local plant, Firestone,
which reported a $13.8 million first
qfrarter loss, said it will phase out tire
plants in Los Angeles and Salinas,
Calif.; Dayton and Barberton, Ohio, and
a synthetic, latex plant in Akron, Ohio
Firestone is based in Akron
The closing of the tire plant near here
will idle 1,500 hourly workers and 450
sAaried employees, plant' manager
Harold Powell said. The plant is the
largest local employer.
Borough Manager Eugene Moody
predicted "a massive impact" on
Pottstown, where unemployment has
Pledges wanted from
By CINDY COX
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Members of the class of 1980 are being
eked to pledge the remainder of their
general deposit to a Class of 1980 Fund,
sponsored by the University Office of
Gifts and Endowments and Lion's Paw.
The purpbse of this fund will be
decided in 25 years by class members.
"How the money will be used will
depend on how much we have after 25
years and what the needs of the
University are at the time," Jim Adisey,
president of Lion's Paw, said.
Lion's Paw is a group of seniors who
are leaders of student organizations.
T4ey meet to discuss problems of the _
University and are dedicated to
preserving University traditions.
Contributions to the fund will be
placed in a bank account where the
money will gather interest for 25 years,
said Assistant Director of Annual Giving
C.Tifft. Additional gifts will be
added to the account after graduation if
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been running at 7 to 9 percent
Operations of a local Firestone
plastics plant, which employs 580 people,
will not be affected, Powell said. The
plant is operated by Firestone Plastics
Co., a wholly owned subsidiary
headquartered here.
No dates for the closings were given,
but Powell said all production at the
local tire plant "is expected to be
discontinued later this year."
Top United Rubber Workers Union
executives, including URW In
ternational President Peter Bommarito,
and leaders of the affected local unions,
gathered in Akron for an emergency
closed-door meeting on the situation.
"Once again, the worker is the victim
of a situation beyond his control,"
Bommarito said, adding that he was
shocked that the company would take
such drastic action without first asking
the union for help.
He blamed increased imports of autos
and tires as well as rising energy costs
for the closings.
A union spokesman said the latest
closings would boost the total of tire
plant jobs lost since 1975 to 19,200
members designate their contributions
for the account, Taft said.
Class members pledged about $lO,OOO
at spring registration she said. Letters
will be sent this term to seniors who have
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adding that some 6,000 jobs evaporated
in the past 15 months alone.
The URW estimated Firestone's daily
tire production will be reduced by 34.4
percent when the plants are closed. •
The plants to be closed employ a total
of about 5,000 hourly and 2,000 salaried
people. Another 1,500 workers at the
plants are on indefinite layoff. At Lower
Pottsgrove Township, about 480 workers
have been furloughed since August,
Powell said.
About four years ago, Pottstown lost a
Bethlehem Steel Corp. fabricating plant,
which employed 1,000 workers. It since
has been divided into smaller
manufacturing plants.
"That plant is slowly filling up and
now to have this happen is a bad thing,"
Moody said.
Another Montgomery County tire
plant, Lee Tire & Rubber Co. of Con
shohocken, shut its doors Jan. 31,
eliminating 800 jobs.
Firestone chairman Richard Riley
said the reason for some of the closing
and layoffs •is that the company is
restructuring its North American tire
operations.
1980 class members
Zj!::,;.:',)c,.':l:
not yet pledged, Tifft said.
Pledges will automatically be tran
sferred to the fund from students'
general deposits after all other deduc
tions are made, she said.
~.,
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JERVEzt MHZ STATION &MID
ROLL 815T7120
exlqualzmyks69 4.a9 RNA
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ntr HAPPY VALLEY BEAUTIYUL. DOW? LITTER.
"The realignment is intended to meet
changing market conditions by
eliminating unneeded capacity that has
been used mainly for producing bias-ply
tiers," Riley said.
"The planned actions will reduce
Firestone's manufacturing costs and
improve its ability to meet the needs of
its original equipment customers,
Firestone dealers and stores, and
Dayton (Tire) dealers."
Firestone's financial position has been
hurt since last year by a government
mandated recall of the company's "500"
radial passenger tires, after government
studies indicated the tire could be
defective. The action was the largest tire
recall in history.
The realignment is expected to' be
completed by the end of Firestone's
current fiscal year in October. The
company estimated costs of the actions,
including employee termination and
pensions, at $B2 million after taxes.
These costs "will be somewhat offset
by an estimated $33 million gain from
liquidation of . .. inventory reserves,"
according to a company news release.
"If they acquire a sizeable amount,
they can do something quite
significant," she said. "There are a lot of
needsat the University now, but as time
goes on, the needs will change. Class
members will definitely be involved in
deciding what to do with the money."
Adisey said the money could perhaps
be used for fixing walkways or elevators
for handicapped students. "It will
definitely go for something that will
directly benefit students," he said.
Another way students will be helping
the University to raise funds is by
manning telephones in the Lion Line
Phonathon April 21 to May 8, Tifft said.
Students will contact University alumni
by telephone for three hours a night and
ask them to donate funds, she said.
Ni:": - .:0".....':ii'::;......;.!
`Alumni support means the difference
between a mediocre program and an
excellent program," she said. "Alumni
can designate their gifts to colleges,
Commonwealth campuses, scholarship
funds or wherever they like."
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1 J
Oswald takes post
with GPU company
By KATHY HOKE
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
University President John W.
Oswald has recently accepted a
position on the board of directors of
General Public Utilities, parent
company of the owner of , the Three
Mile Island power plant.
Kenneth C. McKee, GPU's
manager of public. affairs, said
Oswald was elected to the nine
member board for an indefinite
period effective this month.
"Dr. Oswald has significant
strengths in both administration and
education which we feel will be
demonstrated to us and will lend
significantly to the difficult problems
we are facing," McKee said.
Oswald said he looks forward to his
service on the board and is glad to
have been selected.
"I can't imagine that any problem
is more important than energy," he
said.
Oswald said he wants to attend his
first board meeting April 3 before
commenting further on his selection
to GPU's board.
GPU is the parent company of
The Daily Collegian Thursday, March 20, 1980-3
*••.
John W.
several subsidiary companies, in
cluding Metropolitan Edison, the
power company that owns and
operates the Three Mile Island
nuclear plant. Although each sub
sidiary company has its own board of
directors, McKee said "the final
responsibility for TMI would
ultimately rest with GPU."
McKee. said Oswald is the only
member of the board who is involved
in education. Other board members
have backgrounds in business and
government, he said.
Oswald was nominated by a three
member committee of the board and
elected during the March 6 board
meeting. The board meets at GPU
headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., on
the first Thursday of each month
except August, McKee said.
In a GPU press release issued this
month, Oswald said, "Energy con=
tinues to be one of our nation's most
significant concerns. The develop
ment of the various forms of energy,
and the monitoring of them, continue
to be a major responsibility of
research efforts in both industry and
the academic community."