6—The Daily Collegian Monday, April 20, 1981 Times change, students still v.oicei.dey,,,.„•4 By CINDY COX "Student activism should extend be- Daily Collegtan Staff Writer yond the campus borders into town," he Though the times have changed, the said. "Whenever an issue is divided issues are similar concern about over- between students and the community, it seas military intervention, concern that usually doesn't go the student's way." the liberal student voice is not heard in On one issue, the group worked with government and concern about the envi- the Consumer Party to petition to have ronment. the book Our Bodies, Ourselves put back The days of the '6os and taking over on the regular bookshelf at the State Old Main are past, but University stu- College Area High School, Wengel said. dent groups in the 'Bos art still mobilizing The book was returned to the shelves last • their ideas through groups like Ameri- Monday by the State College Area School cans for Democratic Action, Friends of Board. Central American Liberty, the Consumer ADA is also working with Friends of Party and Eco-Action. Central American Liberty to help end "We're here to try to coordinate the United States military intervention in El liberal voice in State College into one Salvador, Wengel said. liberal voice," said Steve Wengel, presi- Though El Salvador is FOCAL's main - dent of Americans for Democratic Ac- concern, the group also wants to educate tion. "The liberal voice here has been people and make them aware of other scattered and ineffective. We hope our problems in Central America, group group can change that." member Carolyn Olney, said. To make its voice heard,. ADA will be Members are writing letterg to con endorsing people with liberal views for gressmen to urge support of House Reso office in the local municipal council and lutibn 1509, a bill prohibiting all military the state legislature, Wengel said. sales, training and assistance to the Protests no longer a regular occurrence By JACKIE MARTINO surrounded the building, swinging clubs Daily Collegian Staff Writer and making their way through the crowd, The demonstrations and political activ- Bowden and other demonstrators ism of the 1960 s have passed us by, crawled on the ground, under people's leaving only pictures and Beatle's al- legs, to escape. bums as reminders. Now, two decades "We thought there was going to be a later, student activism is still present revolution," she said. "We were going to but with a marked decline in demonstra- overthrow the government." tions and a questionable political aware- Bowden also added that many activists ness on the part of students. at Wisconsin were stockpiling weapons. There are many reasons given for the "They (the establishment) were wrong decline in the number of demonstrations, and we were right," Bowden said. a major part of student activism in the Bowden said the mid- to late-'6os and '6os, said Robert O'Connor, associate the early '7os marked the height of stu professor of political science at Penn dent activism. Responding to the opinion ' State and a former student activist at the that the late '7os was an apathetic time, University of North Carolina. she said, "I think of it more as not Many students in the '6os got what they apathy, but as wound-licking." wanted, including an end to the Vietnam O'Connor said he does not think a lack war, making further demonstrations un- of awareness in student government to necessary, he said. day indicates a lack of political aware " You had an issue that very closely ness in general. affected students," O'Connor said. "Student politics is probably irrelevant The specific issues that provoke dem- to most students here," he said. O'Con onstrations not the students have nor attributed this attitude to the irrele changed, he said, and if the draft is vance of the issues student government reinstated demonstrations could in- is concerned with. As an example, he crease. said that if student government was O'Connor said that in the early '6os involved in the choice of University Pres demonstrations were viewed by students ident John W. Oswald's successor, stu as a positive way to attract•the general dent politics might become relevant. public's attention to a specific cause. By Looking toward the future, O'Connof the end of the decade, however, the said the programs of President Reagan's demonstrations themselves not-frhq mdministration may provide an impetustoi causes and ideals they repreSent ,d,%. aik aiiiitcrease in activism. beCame the focus of public attention, he "I suspect that the'current administra said. Demonstrations had lost their ini- tion will do wonders for student activ'-`' tial purpose a focus on a cause and ism," he said. were therefore unnecessary. O'Connor said the possibility of invad "Demonstrators were, by and large, ing a foreign country or reinstating a the better students," he said. 'The dum- military draft could increase student mies were not the demonstrators. I dem- activism considerably. onstrated and then I went home and Bowden added, "I think Reagan is studied. It was far from a daily going to continue .to do very stupid rence." things. I have a feeling some kind of bust While demonstrations are a major is gilng to happen I get the impression component of student activism, a general that people are -- pretty cynical." .political awareness is also a contributing O'Connor said women's issues, the factor, he said. Today, O'Connor said, "I think stu- reinstitution of the draft, American ad venturism abroad, and possible cutbacks dents are about as politically aware as in the Guaranteed Student Loan program they were in the '6os." are among the issues that will concern And while the Beatles were giving live students in the 'Bos. Bowden added rising performances to screaming crowds, stu health costs and inflation to the list of dents like Betsy Bowden, now a Penn problems. State professor of English, were demon strating. Bowden, a student activist in In the past, O'Connor said the Univer the '6os, was a demonstrator at the sity saw a lot of student activism. Even University of Wisconsin in 1966. so, the University has always had less Bowden told of one incident when a activism than some other schools be group of demonstrators entered a Dow cause of the emphasis placed on vocatio- Chemical plant. When police arrived and nal and technical majors. Student unrest in '6os led to By SHARON TAYLOR Daily Collegian Staff Writer Many students today seem to sit back and sleepily accept most University changes and decisions, almost taking for granted the inevi table annual tuition hike, paying the difference and hoping next year's increase won't be 25 percent. But students were not always this passive. Granted, during the late '6os and early '7os Penn State was not the battle ground other universities were, but during those years students frequently picketed on the Old Main lawn, staged sit-ins at the HUB and marched through the streets of State College. These students destroyed the "conservative" image the University was known for. They be lieved policies had to be changed and they did not sit back and wait for the University president or the board of trustees to realize this. Some of the problems students faced were similar to the problems of today's students: tuition increases, the rising costs of apartments, the lack of effective communication between students and administrators. But some of the problems seemed greater than those of today. During the late '6os, students throughout the country were in the process of changing the attitude' that students, being children, should be disciplined, one University professor said. For example, women were not permitted to live off campus, and both men and women were restricted by regulated visiting hours, Robert O'Connor, associate professor of political science, said. Such policies put the University in a parental role, and were one reason for the student protests, O'Connor said. _ "Student protests at Penn State were a part of the protest of paternal regulations across the nation,", he said. Students for a Democratic Society and the Steering Committee to Reform the University, organizations determined to change University policy, were active during the late '6os. They drew up an outline calling for , policy changes to give students more rights and presented it to former University President Eric A. Walker's adminis tration. The students found their main problem was getting the administration to sit down and discuss the students' problems. When the administration told members of these groups that the Undergraduate Student Government was the organization designed to communicate the will of the student body to it, USG members wrote a memo stating that all 300 registered student organizations had the right to voice their opinions to the administration. It re a d: "USG is only one of the 300 student organizations that has the right to go into. Old Main and be told Dr. Walker's stand on vital issues of direct concern to them. USG is not and never will be the exclusive voice of the student body. If it were, the student body's voice would have a severe case of laryngitis." The administration stood firm on its belief that USG was the voice of the student body. Mean while, SDS and SCRU members did not abandon their goals to give the students more rights. When the administration refused to discuss the issues with them, they took over Old Main. During the seven hour sit-in, more than 400 students demanded an answer to the nine non negotiable demands from Walker. But judging from Walker's comments after the incident, the communication gap seemed to have widened. "I don't understand the reasoning of the stu dent," he said at the time. "The only communica tion they will accept is a 'yes.' " Black students were also active at the time. Since students believed they were being . op pressed, the Douglass Association, the black student organization, outlined 13 demands which would provide black students with a better atmo sphere at the University. When members found the communication gap also limited their right to discus's their demands government of El Salvador, she said. On campus, 'FOCAL is circulating a petition on the Mall to urge President Reagan's support of the bill. During Horizons, the group will be sponsoring a movie, "El Salvador Revolution or Death?" The group participated with the Third World Coalition last week in a demonstration march to protest U.S. intervention in El Salvador. 'I don't know if it's apathy, unawareness or just plain ignorance. We've'got to pull, teeth in a lot of cases to get people involved.' —Timothy Bowser, group member of Eco-Action "There is underlying support against military involvement in El Salvador," Olney said. "People don't want to see us involved in another country like we were in Vietnam." • Protest! Students crowd Old Main's lawn in 1968 demanding increased black enrollment, ment in the Vietnam War and increased independence for University students. with signs threatening to burn then-University President Eric A. Walker's Although many protests did occur at Penn State, it remained more conserva house. Other issues at the time included protests against American involve- five than other colleges at the time. with the administration and that the administra tion had made little progress making new policies concerning these demands, they built a brick wall in front of Old Main, symbolizing the communica tion gap between students and the administration. The administration also reacted to an under ground student newspaper, sparking the activists' flame. After printing a photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono naked on the front page of The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel, four students were ar rested. After the arrests, student activists rallied for their freedom of expression in front of the State College Municipal Building. Some of the problems students faced were similar to the problems of today's students: tuition increases, the rising costs of apartments, the lack of effective communication between students and administrators. Through these demonstrations, University of ficials became aware of student concerns and took steps to change University policy when possible. Students were no longer restricted by regu lated visiting hours, and Black Study courses were estAblished. The Consumer Patty will be helping FOCAL voice its concerns by participat ing in a May 3 march on the Pentagon to stop United States intervention in El Salvador, said Tom Ottenberg, Consum er Party candidate in the State College mayoral race.. "We're more than just an electoral body," Ortenberg said. "We're also an educational group and want the commu- nity to know about issues like El Salva dor, nuclear power and militarism." During the first week of May, the party will sponsor a forum on militarism with speakers on the new draft and the prob- lems it poses, Ortenberg said "We have tried to attract Democrats and Republicans to our party," Orten berg said. "We thought our biggest ap peal would be to people who were not inclined to vote ,before because no one represented their interests. We hope we can do that for them now." Representing environmental interests, Eco-Action encourages people to live low-energy consumption lives 'and be come aware of their consumption pat : , terns, group member Timothy Bowser said. "We are trying to get people to become aware of their impact on their environ ment and the eco-system," he said. "We're looking for alternatives to the petrochemical way of doing things." Eco-Action members oppose the use of nuclear power for reasons of health and safety and also because they believe the power is unneccessary, Bowser said. "We have a definite anti-nuke bias," he said. "If the consumption diet of this country would change so we wouldn't protests and sit-ink But the administration did not permit students .to build a student-operated bookstore, nor did it change Faculty Senate membership so that a third of the voting members were students. Stu dents did not get everything ihey wanted but progress was made. After that time, student demonstrations con cerning University policy were few because stu dents were treated as adults, O'Connor said. "The students had won there were little after that time because the students got what they wanted," he said. During the late '6os, students also protested against the Vietnam War. But, besides protesting the war itself, students protested military pro grams which the University housed. Members of SDS and Coalition for Peace aimed fire at the Institute for Defense Analysis and ROTC pro grams, arguing that the University, as an educa tional institution, had no business housing these "destructive" programs. (The IDA, a federal program on many university campuses, provided the federal government with research and scien tific information concerning the military.) James Crugan, an SDS member, explained that the group focused on IDA to awaken students to the fact that these programs existed at the University. "IDA was a focus point to awaken more students to the imperialistic government policies and militarism engendered by such organizations as IDA," he said. The demonstrations at campuses like Colum bia University . in 1968 became so extensive that the federal government moved the IDA programs off university campuses. Though he did not know how great a factor the demonstrations at Penn State were in the govern ment's decision to remove the IDA program, Melvyn S. Klein, director of student activites, said there was unrest among students at the time. "There was a modest amount of student pro test a general. feeling of unrest in regard to waste so much, there wad be enough energy without nuclear , 4 Though students are involved Tgrovpis like FOCAL and Eco-Actioh; Bowsersaitt l he thinks University students . ; are nil+ , Lively not activist compared With other students at campuses of a SiMilar size.; "I don't know if it's apathy, awareness or just: plain ignorance," , - 11 said. "We've got to pull teeth in a 14 cases to get people involved:' Olney added that studentslinay noQbe r 4 activist regarding progressive causee but the El Salvador issue seemslo hav provoked strong feelings. • • / Wengel agreed and said, "El , Salvadol• has been getting a lot of people derf cerned. I think Reagan wore a lotf people up and they're becoming-activi st again." 1 . :•4 The Consumer Party has Mpt with • favorable response from studpnts, °tick berg said. "We've found lots of support;" he "There has been no hostility and'Studev‘ have been very friendly to us:", ' • Vietnam, the draft and other social issues," Klein said. Throughout the wartime years, students • t aside days to commemorate the,cleaths, of ac 4 - ists who died for the cause. During one such d.;, , students lowered the American flag on the I • Main lawn to commemorate the deatb, of t student activists at the University of Californi ~• Berkeley. However, University officials apparen 0 11 failed to recognize the significance of the s dents' actions, and proceded to raise the flag fr • its half-mast position. After the officials left ip immediate scene, Paul Kupferman, a Univer student, returned the flag to its half-mast - tion. And on doing so, he was arrested for "m' - acious mischief to private property." , . After his arrest, students presented five - mands to the administration, which called for • removal of undercover agents, the dropping! f charges against University students, the halti 'of agitation 13y campus police and Univer4 security personnel and the condemning of poli agitation against demonstrators at Berkeley. The invasion into Cambodia also spar ' • student activism in 1972. Students blockaded entrance of the Ordinance Research Laboratoi% and the corner of South Atherton Streetand W ; t College Avenue, to symbolize the Haiphong h!l- • bor blockade. Though students did some damage to Unive •I ty buildings during these demonstrations, th, , t , were for the most part peaceful, O'Connor "Very few student protests were violent the most, 1 percent," he said. 'Most of the stud t protests against Cambodia were not violent. T protests at Penn State were not any different.l; During the Cambodian protests when student: blockaded Atherton Street, some town peo driving a flatbed truck hit students with le: pipes. O'Connor said police arrested the to residents before any violence broke out. "It could have been a very dangerous scene 'l' fortunately, the police arrived quickly," he sail' • • I—, 'i,: .;;;Aii..,, : '' ''P A!.(::'''!•.:'1:?: Abortion to be debate topic Women's Collective members are sponsoring a debate, "The Pros ;and Cons , of the Legality of Abor .tion" at 7:30 tonight in HUB As- Sembly Room. Since Congress is voting on the Human Life Amendment, women should be aware of the abortion issue, said Robin Wien, Women's Collective public relations director. • "We think this is an important 'event we hope to raise aware ness about an abortion bill the -Human Life Amendment," she said. The debate will also give both groups a chance to present their perspectives on the abortion ques tion, she said. he' pro-life argument will be given by Suzanne Glasow, presi dent of the Centre County chapter Of the statewide organization Citi zens Concerned for Human Life, and Sherry Bodle, a pro-life activ ist. Colina Jordan and Carol Kafer, 1 A . :*members of the Centre County ,!6apter of the National Organiza- Aion for Women will present the Iwo-choice argument. —by Sharon Taylor ********************************.* it BESTFORM SHOW-OF HALF-SLIP * 2 .F. it, L EL .., 4' FREE 4.4, , , r , '''''' -,‘ ''' le. INNE BIKINI . 4:' • * • ili Lill r -1 al * ' ' ASK FOR COLOR MATCHED SHOW-OFF BRAS * 01 0 1 i, 41 and Calder Way * r ib( 0 ' *, *. Mg. Tarriage Eintrir *- 109 S. 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ZIP . 234-1515 'Phone Age • L • CASS NERRC PAWS member Cheryl Haywood holds one of three shepherd-hound abandoned with their mother in Lemont. The mother was adopted but the still need homes. only at FOOD FAST NOT FAST FOOD Brittany HOUSE OF FINE SOUPS 8 CREPES . - . BOWL OF SOUP & CREPE $1.25 GET A LARGE, HOT BOWL OF SOUP DU JOUR AND A SUMPTUOUS CREPE OF THE DAY FOR ONLY $1.25 WITH THIS COUPON FROM 2-8 P.M., APRIL 20.25 TAKE A BREAK. ENJOY A QUIET INTERLUDE AT THE BRITTANY. 256 CALDER WAY (BEHIND MID-STATE BANK) PAWS shelters animals Abandoned animals, overpopulation problems By AMANDA KNELL Daily Collegian Staff Writer Daphne, a 5-year-old Siamese cat, was left on the doorstep with a pile of kitty litter when her owners moved away, abandoned one week before she gave birth to three kittens. This case is just one of thousands concerning animals abandoned or abused in Centre County, said Suzanne Downs, a member of the Association for the Preservation of Animals' Welfare and Safety (PAWS). However, Daphne's story is happier than some. A PAWS member gave Daphne a home until she had her kittens. PAWShas since found a permanent home for the cat and is still trying to place the kittens. Downs said State College residents concerned about the excessive overpop ulation and dumping of animals in this area created PAWS four months ago. "Immediately, we found that the big gest problem around here was the over population of cats and dogs and the irresponsible way some people treated them," Downs said. Nancy Miller, PAWS president, said the organization hopes to deal with the overpopulation problem by developing an educational program to show student and other area pet-owners the conse quences of overpopulation and encourag puppies puppies ing them to neuter their pets. PAWS, however, is not the only local organization that sees overpopulation as a severe problem. Charles Sebolt, head of the Centre Hall shelter of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said some weeks hundreds of animals are brought into the shelter. 'lmmediately, we found that the biggest problem around here was the overpopulation of cats and dogs and the irresponsible way some people treated them.'—Suzanne Downs "We try to place the animals," he said, "but for as many as we get in we can only find homes for a small number." He said because of the overpopulation problem the shelter is forced to destroy thousands of animals each year. To help combat the overcrowding and • 1 r , • ` ;. College Of The • Pennsylvania State University For students who would like to know about an alternate Penn State Campus environment In Erie, where you can complete your Penn State baccalaureate degree in 15 majors, meet the Behrend College Admls. sions Director on Thursday, April 23 from 1:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. In Room 305 of the HUB. Behrend College offers complete baccalaureate programs In the following majors: Accounting, Applied Science, Blosclences, Communications, Economics, English: Literature, General Arts and Sciences, History, Management Mathematical Studies, Political Science, Prelaw, Psychology Studies, Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Small In Size Large In Stature • , *Quicne torMitie-bacovi che6s)sie-, TI? AIR g MOH JUNCTION OF COLLEGE 4 GARNER,. The Daily Collegian Monday April 20, 1981-7 destruction of animals at the SPCA shel ter, Downs said, PAWS members take in abandoned and abused animals tempo rarily and give them what medical atten tion they need. PAWS then tries to match the animals with suitable permanent homes, requir ing the adoptive family to make a deposit upon receiving the animal, she said. PAWS refunds the money when the animal is neutered, Downs said. The organization makes follow-up visits to the homes, she said, and will remove the animal if it has been abused. So far PAWS has placed about 70 animals, Downs added. PAWS member Cheryl Haywood (13th animal production and preveterinary), who works on the adoption committee, said anyone needing a home for a pet or looking to adopt one should call her at 238-7719. Downs said the group is also looking for temporary homes for the animals until permanent ones can be found. While at these temporary homes, the animals' habits and personalities can be observed, she said, so that "adoptive families can be sure of what kind of animal they are getting." The next PAWS meeting is at 7:30 Thursday night in the Fireside Room of Schlow Memorial Library, 100 E. Beaver Ave.
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