Editorial opinion
Inflation fight
Increase keeps organizations alive
Students rarely win in a
University dominated.by budget
conscious administrators, but it
happens.
Associated Student Activities,
the organization that doles out
money to other student groups,
received $lOO,OOO in addition to
its usual $119,000 allocation for
the 1980-81 school year from the
University.
That increase is really only
about a $50,000 increase, since
ASA usually got about $40,000 to
$60,000 more in temporary funds
during the summer from
budgetary surpluses within the
University. ASA will not receive
emporary funds this summer.
But no one is going to com ,
•
The $50,000 increase translated
into a 20 percent funding in
crease for most student groups,
although some received more
and one did not get any..
As inflation remained at about
18 percent. student groups faced
either curtailing certain
programs or running their
organizations in a different
manner.
The Organization for Town
Independent Students, for
example, serves many students
with its informational pam
phlets. The cost of printing those
pamphlets, however, has risen
about 15 to 20 percent.
Evaluations cannot break through tenure barrier
By Zena Beth McGlashan
Assistant Professor of Journalism
Last spring, a graduating senior was bitterly complaining
about a class she had just completed, one which was supposed
to be a vital to her major. "I didn't learn anything I hadn't
learned before," she said. "But, I really showed him (the
professor). I wrote him the worst evaluation I've ever writ
ten
I just smiled and listened. I didn't tell her that her evaluation
was worth less than the UDIS form on which she had penciled
it. The professor at whom she was so angry has tenure.
A letter in The Daily Collegian (Thursday, May 8) reminded
me of .this ,exchange. The writer suggested that all faculty be
sobieettrregular student evaluation regardless of theirrank
and tenure status. Good idea, if it would do any good.
Student evaluations are an illusion of power in a desert of
helplessness because they can be used in any way the
academic "judges" want to use them. Since only tenured
professors judge the nontenured faculty, those who are exempt
from student review evaluate those whose status is not secure.
Friendship provides stability
Thanks for
My college career is quickly coming to
a close. With the passing of this stage of
my life, my thoughts turn back over the
past four years to reflect on my suc
cesses and failures. I guess if I had to
pick one reason for my success at this
university, it would be the luck I had
when picking a roommate.
At college, roommates are discarded
like worn-out notebooks. Many are
picked that way, too. But imagine
sharing a small room, a finite amount of
space, with a person you never met"
before. It seems odd that people 'are
willing to let a stranger into that big a
part of their lives. And yet, it happens all
the time.
1 remember moving in with my
roommate in December of my freshman
year. I had seen her on my floor, had
never spoken to her and was sure that I
would hate her. For the first couple of
months we hardly spoke. I was- involved
in my own "freshman experience" and
she with hers. But slowly, out of the
silence developed a friendship un
matched before in my life time. With the
ensuing years, I have grown to love and
cherish that meeting. I would never have
imagined that on that cold winter
morning, I would find the perfect friend.
Today, society seems to place a
'growing emphasis on finding the perfect
"10." With • this comes 'a decreasing
understanding of the importance of
simple friendship. Many times, I have
talked to people who feel they have been
Had the University not
provided more money, OTIS
probably would have had to •
decrease its service to students
in some way.
The Association of Residence
Hall Students faced a similar
plight. Because of the steep in
flation, much of its additional
money will be used to offset
increased costs for maintaining
its programs and office rather
than providing new programs.
Although the Undergraduate
Student Government will also be
fighting inflation, it plans to use
the additional money for its new
Race Relations Board and to
cover costs that it usually had to
cover through supplementary
funding from ASA.
That way, it will be able to use
supplementary funding for new
programs and services that
normally would haVe .been
beyond its budget, such as for
ming new departments and
, taking surveys.
The additional allocation has
proven to be a welcome con
tribution to student
organizations,. allowing them to
continue the valuable services
they provide to students and the
University community.
• Perhaps with prices rising so
fast, the University should make
the extra $lOO,OOO a permanent
addition to ASA's budget.
r:}::>.:~~:r;
roommies
abandoned by their "best friend"
because • that person found a lover.
Later, when the relationship ended, the
other side of the coin the other friend
complains because there is no one
there since the lover is gone.
Maybe this can be attributed to the
paranoia that seems to inevitably come
with the demands of college. Everyone is
unstable in decisions about his or her life
and the needs that lie there within. A
relationship can provide the stability
that is needed. Yet, the frustrations and
pressures that also accompany college
seem to strain even the best relation
ships at one time or another. .
But, roommates live on. They suffer
the pain of the relationship gone by' the
wayside, the frustration of writing the
term project that had been put off until
the night before it was due, the feelings
of despair accompanying a low mark
and the disgust of failure in any and
everything.
Yet, they are also there to enjoy the
feelings of euphoria from receiving that
all important A, the joys of ac
complishment when finishing that term
paper at 5 in the morning and the fun of
the party when Friday comes. They are
just there, when needed, giving and
understanding. '
I am lucky; I found my perfect
roommate. We have had our fights and
our disagreements, but we have sur
vived. Whew! walk down to receive my
diploma at the end of this month, I will
be wearing a 404 around my neck,
symbolizing the reason. for the success
that I have had at PSU. We have only
shared a room, and a small piece of
time, but my roommate will live forever
in my heart and memories. Thanks Ter,
I love you.
Bonnie Northrop is a 12th-term secon
dary education major and is a columnist
for The Daily Collegian.
The results may or may not reflect the student-jurors' views
but always reflect the faculty-judges' likes and dislikes.
For example, if a • junior faculty member receives poor
evaluationsfrom students and the nontenured faculty member
is favored by the tenured folk, then a mild reprithand can be
issued and the junior prof can also be ravingly reviewed on
other aspects research, community service, potential, etc.
If, on the other hand, the junior faculty person gets high
marks from'students but is viewed, for various reasons, with
disfavor by the "grey beards," then the tenured folk say things
such as "but, he's obviously not covering the, material
correctly" or "she must be too easy and .that's why the
students like her" and similar rationales because, in this
construction of reality, student opinion also is worthless:
So much for the weight of student evaluations on the un
tenured. Now, what about faculty with tenure? Shouldn't they,
as the letter writer suggests, be subject to strenuous, periodic
examination? Of course. However, even if they are reviewed
regularly, the tenure system protects not only the excellent,
hard-working professors, but also the obviously incompetent
Illustration by Jos Milton's
3 ? 6
Multiple guess tests
The students of Astronomy 001 would like to bring to
the attention of the University a dilemma that has been
occurring in this course since the beginning of the
term.
There are four professors that teach sections of
Astronomy 001. Tests, however, are made up by only
one of these professors. Therefore, this has created a
number of problems in regard to the testing. •
We have no idea of what is to be expected on the
exam unless, as a student, we happen to be in the
section whose professor . makes up the exam. Our
professor does not see the exam before it is distributed
to the class and his opinion is not counted in the grading
of the exams since grades are given out without his
ever seeing the distribution of the scores.
Also, there were several correct answers to some of
the questions and only one answer was counted ( the
professor who made the test also chose the answers).
There were also three chapters on the exam we never
covered.
We feel that our professor is an excellent instructor
:)ut without any assistance from certain individuals in
the Astronomy • department, the students are being
made to pay for faults because of the poor supervision
of the course.
The class as a whole has accepted this letter with few
students abstaining.
The students of Astronomy 001
May 9
Over the knee
. I was very disappointed to learn that a couple of
supposedly mature, reponsible college students could
destroy a tent structure in five to 10 minutes that took
five people a week to construct.
It would be interesting to know what possible
reasoning they used to justify their child-like behavior
in literally destroying this group's class project for a
structure course in their major
I thought colleges Were'composed of mature adults,
but apparently there are, a few children enrolled at
Penn State that still need to be watched and spanked
when they are bad: There is no excuse for this type of
behavior, and it is because of these few children and
their childish actions that the reponsible students on
this campus are also treated like children at times.
Ron Hammer. 3rd•architecture
May 11
Opinions or facts?
In response to Tuesday's editorial opinion in which
my business partner and myself are detailed as racist,
jingoistic, money-grubbing exploiters, I will address
individually myself to the writer's imaginative points.
1. My personal profit on each copy of Operation:
4."
and the chronically cynical. Tenure forms a "magic shield"
around professors, a kind of "force field" which very few
things can penetrate.
I think . there are a few things a tenured faculty member
could do to cause his or her removal. I suppose if a male
tenured professor propositioned a male member of the Board
of Trustees in front of other trustees, that could be cause for
dismissal. Or, if a female tenured professor decided to stress
what she thought to be the ecological waste of natural fibers by
lecturing in the buff, she could be fired.
But it would take just some jarringly radical act of deviant
behavior to blast the protective shield from a professor who
has tenure. Simply being uncaring or boring or ineffectual
isn't enough.
Students' reviews of professors can be useful to those
professors who respect students as intelligent beings capable
of having ideas which are worthwhile. Some teachers have
their classes reviewed regularly; they read all the
evaluations, and they even make changes which seem ap
propriate, based on students' ways-of-seeing.
Letters to the Editor
Jihad is about $1 quite a windfall, especially when
the $5,000 investment is considered. A fact which the
writer could easily have confirmed is that Stardragon
operates on the lowest profit margin of any of the war
game companies now in existence.
The $7.95 price of Operation: Jihad is considerably
less than the average war gaine, about $l2 to $25. The
game consists of a rulebook, a game map and counter
sheets, just as do all of the others, something which the
writer of the cited opinion has neglected, indicating
total unfamiliarity with our game or any others.
Moreover, Stardragon does not publish only
Operation: Jihad, in which case there might have been
some validity to the charge of exploitation. One may as
well deliver such a diatribe against Avalon Hill for
exploiting World War 11, or Simulation Publications
Inc. for exploiting Vietnam.
2. The business of war game companies is to produce
war games = thus Operation: Jihad and. not
Operation: Negotiation. We cater to students of
military science and Operation: Jihad, in our
judgment, simulates as realistically, as possible the
current military situation, and is not the shoddy ex
ploitive product the writer would have one believe,
We make no judgment within the game concerning
either the feasibility or desirability of a military
solution to the hostage crisis; the situation is portrayed
as it exists and value judgments are left to the players.
Calling a war game company jingoistic is like calling a
mortician a necrophile or an editorial writer a
malicious gossip. . .
3. The charge of racism is quite surprising, par
ticularly in respect to the Paul Sunyak article ap
pearing beneath the cited opinion. An editorial opinion
is supposed to reflect the point of view of the
publication, but while we •were being charged as
racists, the staff article which followed made Iranian
students out to be incompetent, toadying heretics.
Five drop-adds later
Penn State is home
I'll never forget my first day at Penn
State. I tried unsuccessfully to fight the
tears as . I watched my parents and the
first 18 years of my life drive away to
New Jersey where my friends and the
security of my hoine still were.
As a naive freshman, I was bom- '
barded by two strong emotions ex
citement and fear as the first term of
my college life loomed ahead. Orien
tation and adjustment to a new at
mosphere• kept me so busy during the
first week that I barely had time to
become homesick. Then classes began,
and the novelty of 400-member classes
and piles of homework took up most of
my attention.
I remember my excitement and ap
prehension before my first tailgate and
subsequent football game. It was at this
time that I first felt the togetherness and
spirit of Penn State as I cheered the
Nittany Lions to victory with my fellow
half-drunk Penn Staters.
But something was missing. When
Homecoming rolled around, so did the
slogan, "Penn State We call it home."
I told my friends that I could never call
Penn State my home. After all, my heart
belonged in New Jersey with my friends
and family.
Fall Term took its toll. In a matter of
five weeks, I completed no less than five
drop-adds and a direct room switch,
lwCemisma.
SWI) WAIN YOU, I NAVE A iTnißli TIER
while trying to balance homework;
friends, football games, tailgates' and
numerous extracurricular activities.:
My roommate (also from New Jersey).
and I were the only two girls on my don
floor not to have gone home at least once
during the term. As homesickness
became more prevalent, and I began to
count the days until Thanksgiving break-,
I began to wonder if Penn State was
indeed the right school for me. '
I survived a 13-credit Winter Tevm,
three new roommates and a new dorm to
be thrown headlong into the spirit of a.
Penn State Spring Term. . .
Then something happened, and my
entire attitude seemed to change
overnight. Instead of calling New Jersey
home, I began to slip and - call Penn Stile
home by "mistake." The excitement, of
my, first Phi Psi 500 and my "overly
gentle" Gentle 'Thursday added to my
feeling that flowers weren't the only
things that began to bloom during the
Spring._
But, it seems that no one enforces this use of 'student input;
it's an individual decision on the part of each professBr,
tenured and non-tenured. Enforcement would infringe upon
academic freedom which also presents a cloudy, troublesome
issue.
And. for the non-tenured, student evaluations can help or
hurt, depending on the tenured faculty judges. The process
toward tenure is a judicial review without the democratic
overtones One would expect in the "land of the free." It's a lOW
of court system based on the Star Chamber Principle; secret
review documents to which the defendant has no access unless
a mentor chooses to reveal "privileged" information. And tbti
burden is placed upon the "accused" instead of vice versa - . - -
Of course, I would be less than-honest if I said I don't want
tenure. All of us juniors do if for no other reason than to
sweep away the "stigma" of not achieving . force field status.
But some of us, even if we had tenure, would still wanksaild
appreciate student review as useful to our own effectiveness:as
teachers. And some would not. It's as simple and complex:—
as that.
Overall, this tirade a ainst our persons and our
company seems to be mer ly a vehicle for the writ4:r's
anti-war sentiments. Two weeks before Operation:
Jihad went into production The Daily Collegian, as
well as many other major and minor newspapers
across the country, received our press release.
If, as others did, the writer had taken the time to call
us and ask questions, many of his irresponsible
assumptions and self-gratifying speculations •cAld
have been avoided.
Since the editorial is unsigned, we can only assume
that the paper itself is subscribing to such practices
which present its readers with predigested and un
substantiated opinions rather than facts. Remember
that it was such irresponsible media in conjunctibn
with repressive government that we are told was the
basis for the Iranian revolution.
Michael McCrery, Stardragon, Inc
May I
=Collegian
Monday, May 12, 1980—Page 2
Betsy Long
Editor
BOARD OF MANAGERS: Sales Manager, Marc A. B -
stein; Office Manager, Susan Simko; National Ad Manger,
Patt Gallagher; Marketing Manager, Jobathan Sonett;
Assistant Sales Manager, Debby yinokur; Assistant Office
Manager, Kim Schiff; Assistant National Ad Manager, Tetri
Gregos; Assistant Business Manager, Chris Arnold.
BUSINESS COORDINATORS: Layout, Cathy Norris,
Michelle Forner, Ruth Myers; Co•op Advertising, Mary Jitne
Carson; Special Projects, Larry Kerner.
•
"%4;
I passed my real test when: during thf:
Phi Psi 500, I remarked to a friend that I
couldn't wait until I was 21. Instead of
my usual "I'm 18 and that's all that
matters in New Jersey," I was actually
thinking like a Penn Stater!
I look forward to returning to NeNv o
Jersey this summer, minus exams,
dining hall food and roommate
problems. But a part of me will he left at
Penn State, in Beaver Stadium, the
Forum, the HUB and every other place
that holds fond memories of my first
year at college.
• I'll see you in September, Penn State,
when I return home.
Iris Naar is a third-term journalism
major and a staff writer for The Daily
Collegian.
Kathy Matheiq
Business Manager
Democrats not anxious
to rap Brazill's eligibility
By PHILIP GUTIS
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
With Robert C. Brazil's residency
status in question, influential Democrats
from the Centre Region are taking a
wait-and-see attitude toward Brazil's
candidacy for the state House of
Representatives seat from the 77th
District.
" ( The question is whether or not the
required four years is directly before the
election, or just four years off and on,"
said Roger Bierly, chairman of the
Centre County Democratic Committee.
According to the state Constitution, a
representative must be a citizen and
inhabitant of the state for four years and
of Yhe district he or she is running from
for one year.
.
Brazill's residency status is in
vestion because he voted in New Jersey
in 1977.
However, Brazill has said he meets all
the requirements.He said he was in New
Jersey for nine months during a training
period for his father's business and did
not pay any rent or taxes in the state.
1980 Collegian:lnc.
gi te A . REity 4
47 - 0 1 k
ifspusE OF Fl NE BEEF'
JOIN US FOR LUNCH
Come in and enjoy our new, "All you can eat" buffet
geared especially for the time conscious and
weight oriented individual
Create your own total luncheon from
the following select menu:
130 Heister St.
• Soup (two daily)
• Pita Sandwiches (hot and cold)
• Salad - from an array of fresh vegetables from the famous
Arena revolving salad buffet
• Fresh Yogurt (plain & with fresh fruit)
• Fruit tray (fresh only)
• Beverage (coffee, tea, or milk)
• all for only $275
Added 'Feature: enjoy your favorite beverage at Happy Hour prices
for the entire luncheon.
THE ARENA 130 Heister St., State College
Open for lunch Mon. thru Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Bierly
. said,
."There have been
Inumerous Democrats from the Centre
Region that have called me and asked
about it (Brazill's eligibility)."
Floyd Fischer, Centre County
Republican chairman, said, "We are
just waiting until the facts are all known.
"We know people are looking into it,"
he said. He would not name the people.
"We are sort of in limbo right now and
just holding in there," Fischer said.
Brazill has until Aug. 11 to withdraw
from the ballot, and if he does so, the
Democratic State Executive Committee
would haVe the authority to name
another person to fill the spot on the
ballot.
William McConnell, a State College
resident who lost to Brazil' in the April 22
general primary, said he did not have a
comment ciirßrazill's eligibility.
•
But, if Brazill was not eligible and the
Centre County Democrats recom
mended him, to the Democratic State
Committee and it agreed, "Of course I
would run," McConnell said.
=EEC
Daniel Chaffee, State College
Municipal Council member and can
didate for the chairmanship of the
Centre County Democratic Committee,
said the issue of Brazill's status,
whichever way it is resolved, "has to be
made clear so it doesn't turn into a
campaign issue for (Rep. Gregg)
Cunningham."
However, Cunningham, R-Centre
Region, has said he will not get in
volvedin a court battle over Brazil's
eligibility.
"I believe in the two-party system,"
Cunningham said at his town meeting on
campus Thursday. "We rely on the
adversary nature of the political process
to watch out for eligibility."
Cunningham said he had made the
information about Brazill's residency
status ' available to the Democratic
Committee.
"I honestly have no way of knowing
what the Democratic Committee is
• oin: to do," he said.
237-0361
SAB discusses copyright laws
By CALLAS RICHARDSON
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The reasons behind the University's interpretation of
federal copyright laws were given at Thursday's meeting of
the Student Advisory Board.
Stuart Forth, dean of University Libraries, presented a
history of the University's actions concerning the copyright
laws since their passing in 1978.
The development of the copyright laws started in the '6os
when the outgrowth of copy machines made copyrighters
and authors a bit testy, Forth said. Then some groups,
including professors, began to protest people copying their
materials, despite their desire to copyright someone else's
materials
"The University is particularly vulnerable because of
the quantity of information sent to its 21 commonwealth
libraries," Forth said. "To combat this vulnerability, the
University took the stand that all 21 libraries constituted
one large library."
The University Senate Library Committee approved an
interim statement on how to handle the copyright laws,
Forth said. The University could then wait for someone else
to create a precedent and get sued.
"We did not want to set a precedent and become a test
case for the new laws," he said.
' Forth said a flyer distributed by a junior librarian, which
presented the laws as being more rigid then they really are,
is what has aroused anger in the University academic
community. That document was created and distributed
without departmental permission, he'said.
The University Concert Committee would like to
express thanks to the following people for their
continued support in promoting popular concerts
at Penn State and making the 79-80 season a great
success.
Bill Fuller.
Mel Klein
Herb Schmidt
Willie Crocken
Hagan King
Rich Carton
Janet Struble
Nancy Igo
Audrey Allison
Bruce Engholm
Tom Schooley
Buzz Triebold
Dave Stormer
Sam Blazer
Maintenance & Operation
Bob Coppenhaver
Flo Musgrave
Nadine Ross
Tim Fitzgerald
Mari-Lou Biancarelli
and to the audiences who gave us their continued support throughout the year.
The board also discussed the use of the Faculty Club.
Undergraduate Student Government President Joe Healey
wanted to knowif the Faculty Club was being utilized, and if
not, whether students could use it for organizational pur
poses.
University Provost Edward D. Eddy presented the
resultsof a University study on the possible uses of the
building.
Eddy said the study explored the idea of extending the
Nittany Lion Inn services to the Faculty Club, but it does
not appear to be feasible. In order to extend service to the
Faculty Club, food service would have to be modified
because of the small kitchen at the Faculty Club. Eddy also
said there are problems with liquor licensing.
After a number of studies, the University decided to
assign the building to Continuing Education for conferences
and overflow of executive management workshops, Eddy
said. Responsibility for the building is in the hands of
Continuing Education.
Richard M. Bunnell, director of the J. Orvis Kelley•
Conference Center, gave a report on the workings of thy
Faculty Club since it has been run by Continuing
Education.
The building houses University conferences on the main
floor and has smaller rooms on the lower level for com
mittee meetings, Bunnell said. Continuing Education has
used it for every, type of group, and almost anyone can
apply for use of the building, he said.
In other business, the student handbook will have a dif
ferent composition and function beginning this Fall Term.
112 S. Garner
The UCC Production Staff
The UCC Stage Crew
•
The UCC Policy Board
The Daily Collegian
Auditorium Production Crew
Jeff Dixon
Bill Cluck
Jeff Glazier
Brian Ecker
Chris Elliott
Bonnie Nixon
Pure Prairie League
Poussette Dart Band
Talking Heads
Pearl Harbor
Chuck Mangione
Southside Johnny
David Johansen
Marshall Tucker
Weather Report
Lonnie Liston Smith
Dexter Wan sel
Graham Nash
Leah Kunkel
Grateful Dead
The Daily Collegian Monday, May 12, 1980-3
Beth Farrell
UCC Chairperson
Thank you.