opinions reader opinion A terrible mistake? This letter is to inform the students of Penn State about a terrible mistake that is about to be raade by the State College Borough Council wiich will affect some of them a great deal. ;. The council is seriously considering moving the taxi company out of the bus station some tiie around April 15. This would mean that the lius station would no longer be open all night and leuld close when the Greyhound and Trailways people leave. The bus employees leave before Many students come in on the various buses. • As a taxi driver during the winter of 1980-81 wl;►en the bus station closed early, I took several riepple on several occasions to the hospital to be treated for frostbite. Some people have a lot of luggage and would be forced to stand out in sub zpro, windy weather if the council closes the station by moving the cabs out. The financial situation of the cabs is getting better and it is not as bad as some would have us believe. . _ Please write or call the members of the State College Borough CounCil and let them know that You don't want to freeze next winter. The bus station is the logical place for• State College's taxi Company. Tim Craven, State College taxi driver March 15 Death of a philosopher March 6 was marked by the death at age 77 of a grOat 'thinker, Ayn Rand. Miss Rand was well known as a best-selling novelist, but her novels and the philosophy they expressed placed her in total opposition to the dominant culture of our age. The goal of Miss Rand's writing was to project the image of an ideal man. An ideal man is a man Penn State's hope lies in its undergrads Now for a few kind words about those oft maligned hominids, Penn State . undergrad uates. Even though I am the same person who criticized all-to-common undergraduate aca demic weaknesses and poor attitudes toward learning eight months ago, I've seen some better performance and better attitudes since then. In earlier criticisms, .I said many undergrad uates were inadequate at the basic skills of reading, writing, understanding elementary mathematics and thinking analytically. The writing and analytical thinking have been im proving, but are still nothing like what they should be. Unfortunately, the other areas still look grim. Many of the letters to the Collegian, for exam ple, show pitifully poor reading comprehension. I'd award my personal "Bonehead of the Month" award for February 1982 to, the idiot who didn't realize that a Collegian writer was being sarcastic when she said she looked for ward to being raped and having her first abor tion. The more important changes seem to be in • 'students' attitudes. I still teach students who . • want to crank out answers blindly. I still teach students who wear their intellectual weak : nesses and tender egos as if they were badges of • honor and cry "I'm hurt! I'm hurt!" when I'm not sympathetic. However, these people now seem to be part of a shrinking minority. • I had the pleasure Fall Term of teaching durable students like the guy who grinned proudly when I said, "Hey! You on the first of supreme courage, integrity and rationality. In short, an ideal man is a hero. Rand fully achieved her goal, but in order to do it she had to develop a completely new philosophical system. The basic elements of Rand's philosophy are individualism, reason, egoism and capitalism. She acknowledged no philosophical debt except to Aristotle. Her philosophy stands out as a bulwark against the tide of collectivism, mysti cism, altruism and socialism which may yet destroy Western civilization. Miss Rand's writing style is truly remarkable in that it combines rigorous clarity with implaca ble moral fervor. Her novels are full of long philosophical passages which are absolutely essential to- the development of her ingenious plots. This integration of art with philosophy sets Miss Rand apart from all other twentieth cen tury writers. Her books have inspired millions and what is more, they remain popular despite the fact that they are almost totally banned from university classrooms. Miss Rand was uncompromisingly opposed to the most influential orthodoxies of our day. It is therefore no surprise that she was the target of fanatical vilification from many quarters. Reli gious mystics, socialists and altruists all de nounced her at every opportunity. Now, on the occasion of her death, some of Miss Rand's old enemies have seized the opportunity to unleash further barrages of personal invective. That is in part why I decided to write this letter. But in addition, I wanted to express my admiration and respect for a great artist and a truly original philosopher. To me and many others, Ayn Rand was the living embodiment of her own heroic ideal. Stephen G. Simpson, professor of mathematics March 12 row! Do number 17 on the board. We haven't had a good laugh in here for a long time!" He had given correct but funny presentations be fore, and knew he'd just received a compliment from a fellow classroom comedian. I've also noticed one sure-fire indication of an improving intellectual climate at Penn State: the graffiti in the mens' rooms is getting better. But why mention all this now? Because of a column written in the Collegian on Feb. 22 by Paula Froke, the former editor-in-chief. This column spoke of professors who "once upon a time believed in the power of teaching and learning, but now find themselves preoccu pied with tests and meetings," and of adminis trators who "shuffle and reshuffle ever increasing piles of paperwork and ever-de creasing piles of money, and try to remember what it was like to be in a classroom." It described how those who wanted to improve Penn State wondered why what Penn State seemed best at doing was nothing. I have a simple suggestion as to why those who've been trying to improve the University Gki(c, Aae;l Job well done On behalf of the Association of Residence Hall Students, we would like to extend our thanks to all the line monitors, resident assis tants and Residential Life staff in all areas for their excellent assistance in coordinating the dorm contract lines. The weather, environ mental conditions and students lining up early presented problems which every area handled very successfully. Coordination of the overall program was made a great deal easier by the tremendous contribution made at the area level. In this year's dorm contract survey, over 50 percent of the students surveyed favored first-come, first-serve. While ARHS is still evaluating this system and other alterna tives, first-come, first-serve remains as the approved policy. We would welcome any and all suggestions from monitors and students who stood in line on how to better the system. Feel free to write, call or stop by the ARHS office in 20-A HUB or contact your area government representative. Once again, congratulations on a job well done. - Chris Calkins, ARHS president Karen Gravlin, ARHS vice president Steve Cummins, ARHS executive vice presi dent March 15 Making Love Why should homosexual characters in a film, who like other humans, as one such individual in "Making Love" points out, bleed when cut, be have met with so much frustration: They've been aiming at the wrong end of the Universi ty's student-faculty-administrator pyramid. Aiming at the top is hopeless; aiming at the bottom has a chance. The main hope for Penn State, at least for the next few years, lies with the undergraduates. The undergraduates can't produce millions of dollars in new funding, or hire new faculty, or bring down class sizes at the moment, no.one can. I also don't think they have any special wisdom to contribute to making University policy. One political thing that undergraduates should do, though, is write those fools in Wash ington about the short-sightedness of cuts in student aid. But I don't think Penn State's biggest prob lem really has much to do with University politics or policies, and whatever it has to do with the administration can only be changed by the administration. That problem, simply, is that for all its reputation as a party school the University isn't very happy. This biggest problem is the one the under graduates can do the most about. They're the ones who can make this place happier, not with hysterical pseudo-happiness, but with the dura ble happiness of a person having a good day. They're the ones who can change. They're the ones whose business is change. What they should do is something I'll have to be vague about. It comes down to being more generous to themselves and those around them, including their instructors. That's a personal thing, but here are several suggestions: labeled unrealistic when they are presented in professional situations? It is this narrow atti tude, I think, that Arthur Hiller was trying to abolish with this new controversial film. "Most viewers," Collegian staff writer Elaine Wetmore says in her review of the film, "are expecting an honest glimpse into the homosexual world with the purchase of admission, but many aren't going to be satisfied." Is it really an "honest glimpse," she means, or is it the reaffirmation of established stereo types? "The gay bar scenes are glossed over with barely an attempt to depict the atmosphere within," Wetmore continues. What is it she was hoping to see? The bar scene in this movie showed no more or less than bar scenes in most movies where the plot does not center around bar happenings. Was Wetmore disturbed that the bars were not sleazy enough? That the men were not limp wristed enough, or poverty-stricken enough? Her review would have been more accurate had she omitted these comments and acknowledged Hiller's valiant attempts at presenting the healthy aspects of a homosexual lifestyle. What can be more realistic than what he's done? The obviousness of this realism is almost ridiculous. Human life will always have its opposites, heterosexual or homosexual, healthy and unhealthy, professional and nonprofessio nal, rich and poor and on and on. Why should Hiller .be criticized for portraying the positive side of homosexuality? L. Baeli, graduate-English March 14 Think about it The future we prepare for is the future we create. Do we ready ourselves for the treadmills Learn. Learn how to be more straightfor ward. Learn how to argue without losing your head or your heart. Learn to think in terms of "I" instead of "we." Work on being more tolerant. Don't take yourself or what you believe for granted. Make your mind promiscuous and fertile,' not righ teous and pure. Don't let your father or the want ads choose your major don't settle for anything that doesn't have at least part of your heart in it. Get an education. It can be done even at Penn State it just requires initiative. Go by office hours. Stay after class. Go by professors' or TAs' offices at night. You'll be told, "I'm busy," some of the time, but practically every teacher enjoys teaching someone who's curious and appreciative, and will give you more time than you'd expect. There was a good cover drawing on the New Yorker that showed a crowded freeway full of gray cars and smoke. Right below the freeway was a pretty little village with a creek, flowers and happily smiling people. What I've seen of Penn State in the last few months reminds me of that drawing. There is hope here, hidden in plain view. There are students who. want ,to learn, and teachers who want to teach. Those who can do the most to fulfill it are the undergrads. Steve Brackin is a graduate student in math ematics and a columnist for The Daily Colle gian. The Daily Collegian Tuesday, March 16 of materialsim and greed? Then so be it! Who else but ourselves will design the state of things to come? With the passage of each individual life, humanity is once again defined. Shall we wait for others to show us the way? Shall we not question the wisdom of those upon the well trodden path which lies before us? Behold, fellow scholars! The future we pre pare for is the future we create! JoAnn Horton 12th-psychology But are we ready? Semesters are coming . . . but is Penn State prepared for them? Recent criticism of the change to the new calendar has been man ifested in a lengthy report by several University faculty members (reprinted in yesterday's Collegian). Is there still deep-seated resistance to the semester calender? Do unanswered questions remain about class size, laboratory space, teaching load and availability of course offer ings? Or will these thorny problems be ironed out in time? Will the calendar adversely affect students and the University for years to come? Or is it, as its supporters claim, a step in the right direction? On Wednesday, March 24, The Daily Colle gian will devote its Op-Ed page to the semester calendar. If you have input about this topic, please bring a forum (two to three pages, double-spaced) or a letter (one page; double spaced) to the Collegian office, 126 Carnegie by March 21 at 5 p.m. dl;Collegian Tuesday March 16, 198201982 Collegian Inc. Phil Gutis Paul Rudoy Editor Business Manager Sharon Taylor Judy Smith Managing Editor Asst. Business Mgr. John Allison Michael Conklin Editorial Editor Office Manager The Daily Collegian's editorial opinion is determined by its five•member Board of Opinion, with the editor holding final responsibility. Opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily those of Collegian Inc. or The Pennsylvania State University. Letters Policy: The Daily Collegian en courages comments on news coverage, editorial policy and University affairs. Letters should be typewritten, double spaced, signed by no more than two people and not longer than 30 lines. Students' letters should include the term, major and campus of the writer. Letters from alumni should include the major and year of graduation of the writer. All writers should provide their address and phone number for verifica tion of the letter. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for length, and to reject letters if they are libelous or do not conform to standards of good taste. Because of the numbers of letters re ceived, the Collegian cannot guarantee publication of all the letters it receives. Mail letters to: The Daily Collegian; 126 Carnegie Building; University Park, Pa. 16802. Names may be withheld on request. Letters may also be selected for publication in The Weekly Collegian. reader opinion Draft registration Editor's note: The following letter is regarding a column that appeared in The Harrisburg Evening News on Feb. 23, written by Collegian columnist Justin Catanoso. The original column appeared in The Daily Collegian on Feb.s. Recently, Mr. Justin J. Catanoso of The Daily Collegian wrote a column in The Harrisburg Evening News. He expressed his points of view on Houk. Bill 1599. I would like to take this opportunity to refute his correspondence. As a co-sponsor of Mr. Cunningham's measure, I think that Mr. Catanoso erred, and erred serious ly, in his assessments of legislative initiative. At present, the state department of education allows the school district the option of releasing, or not releasing, the names of high school seniors to military recruiters. About half do so; the rest do not. Our bill is designed to have all districts release a list which, for most schools, would • probably not run to more than half a dozen pages per year the number of graduating students that any principal must maintain in his files.. The military now, like it or not, presently spends over $lOO million a year to compile lists nationwide of these students in order to contact them. I personally cannot see wasting even one 4hundredth of this money when, for five cents a page, the Xerox machine can attend to the matter: If students do not wish to take the time, because of sheer laziness or outright indifference to their rights that's too bad. There is absolutely no element of compulsion in this bill! Many schools release names to salesmen of class rings, and other memorabilia, so to forbid the military to obtain such lists is discriminatory. A New York Times column published Feb. 25 is a warning of what will come if the all-volunteer system does not work. Making it progressively more difficult, and more expensive, for the military to contact people only brings the reinsti aotution of the draft that much closer and that much more certain. And, even if the military enjoy a good recruiting year, there is no guar antee that such will always be the case. Propo nents of the draft will be only too happy to rush in and fill the void. We are not seeking to "revoke traditional AV RENTALS at STATE COLLEGE TV SUPPLY Projectors Audio Recorders Screens Televisions Video Recorders & Much, Much More ... 1.4:".L# (2.„38-6021 : . i . : . i . : . i . ::::: : ::::::::::::::::: : : : : ::::::::::::: . ::::::::::::::::::.• . ..• : - :.: • • •• : ' • ...........................,....., •• • • •••••• - •• .' ........................••••••••••• . • •••••••••••••••••••••••"•'•"-- • • ........................• • • • • • • • •••••••••• • • • • • .....,............................•...............• • ••• •• • ..............,.....................................• • ••• .• ••• .....,.....,...............• • .•:::,....::::::;;;;;;;:•••:::•;•:•:••;•••• •'' . :•:. "" ' ••••:•:::::;::::::::•:•••;. ........:.:.:.••••::•:. •••)V.•:!:! 7 :!:!::::::'•':'•••• ' : ' :: ::i:::•::::::::i:iiiiiiiiiiiii4gitiO ' K:ii;O :. • - •:*i*::::::::::::::::• : ,........., .....: . . 7: '''''7:•:;::::: ':ti Y;.•" ... 1 : ••••••V . t 1 ••.• • • .. : ... _ .. _ Save S2oonlOkt. id, SSCI on 14kt. gold, or $l5 on Lustrium rings for men & women. A $5.00 deposit is all it takes. w e AND LIONS PRIDE policies" nor are the co-sponsors of this bill seeking to "incur increased expenses." Xerox copying is very inexpensive. I am a former Marine officer (who voted for George McGovern in 1972), and by no means consider myself as anything, politically, except progressive and moderate in my thinking. House Bill 1599 is designed to help, not hurt, education in this state. H. William DeWeese State Legislator 50th Legislative District March 3 Still the same When I finally arrived home from my spring break skiing trip, I was met by my Dad in the driveway. He was shoveling the snow. "Welcome home," he said, handing me the shovel. I smiled. Same old Dad. As I came in, he was cussing my little brothers out for not doing their homework. He had Mom get me my dinner and show me all the mail that had come in my absence. Through dinner, I listened to him lecture about the fact that I had bounced three checks at school and we argued over the merits of a mandatory, military draft. He complained about my grades being too low again, for the seventh time in seven terms. That night we went out for a beer together, for the first time now that I had turned "legal." Dad wouldn't have approved otherwise. "You ought to write your mother more often," he said. "Yeah, I will, Dad." "And chop some wood for the fire before you leave tomorrow." "OK." As I sat watching Johnny do the monologue that night, I looked over at my dad sleeping on the couch. I couldn't help thinking about him. Still looks the same, I thought. Hair is maybe a little grayer and his wrinkles make him appear to frown, but he still sleeps with his mouth open. Sis says he still yells when he catches her watching a soap in the afternoon. And I know he Penn State Circle K First Meeting for Spring Term March 16 7:00 p.m. 314 Boucke All New Members Welcome! F• 044 ......„.„.:..„,..„,.:...:........,....,...:: ...... ,c:: : :: , ; i§::iiii::.%. .1,, :ti•:;:•:ti~stii h REBATE OnThe College Ring Of Your Choice OFFICAL PENN STATE CLASS RING still enjoys the Sunday paper, walks in the woods and cold beer out of his favorite mug. I had to leave the next afternoon before he got home from work. My break at home had been cut short due to my desire to go skiing. As I drove back to school, I realized how much my dad meant to me. I stopped for gas and when I opened my wallet, I found a $2O bill paperclipped to a short note. "Thought you might need some gas money," the note said. "Call me when you get there. Sorry I didn't get to see you off." Well, Dad I'm sorry, too. Jeffery J. Kittka, Bth-mining engineering March 11 Conflict Being a transfer student from Indiana Univer sity of Pennsylvania in my first term at Univer sity Park, I have just had my first experience with the much-dreaded Penn State conflict exam. I had heard from many of my friends that these exams, regardless of the course, should be avoided at all costs due to their virtual impossi bility as compared with the scheduled exams. In my case, a straightforward, 20-question, mul tiple-choice QBA 102 exam suddenly turned into an incredibly difficult, 14-question brain-eater. It is amazing to me that some of the professors at this University are able to get away with this type of exam inconsistency. I realize that giving conflict exams is another hassle in the life of a college professor and that by making them much tougher than the scheduled exams, they can deter many students from taking the conflict exams. What I cannot understand is why a student with a legitimate, unavoidable reason for missing a test should be "punished." Now in my case, my professor could argue that my x.. ,:e. ?:.. .iii:?..• :.:,......, ..:•::•-:.. ..011. i:. 0".0:. f.. ...i : i .:.:..,;...::.%•. :i:I:i ':i 5: :-........., :•:i::ii \:....,....:::....::Kiiii.: YOUR poq ONE HUNDRED EAST COLLEGE AVENUE OPPOSITE OLD MAIN •;:••• Applications are now being accepted for the paid position of Calendar Manager to plan and coordinate production of 1982-83 Penn State activities calendar. Applications Available Deadline in 203 HUB March 26th V-0268 conflict exam should have been as hard as it was because I had an extra week to study for it. It is time that we develop a uniform University policy for dealing with students who are unable to attend a scheduled exam. Requiring conflict exams of similar difficulties as well as similar types (i.e. multiple choice or essay) to be given within 24 hours of the scheduled exams, is the, best solution I can put forth. In the first place, though, I'd like to know how much more I should have to learn to get the same grade as someone who could make it to the easier scheduled exam? Secondly, why did it even have to be a week? Why not a day, or even a couple of hours after or before the scheduled exam? I have also heard it suggested in fact, this is sometimes the practice that the answer is to Steven G. Sanner, Bth-finance curve the conflict exams only with each other March 11 The Daily Collegian Tuesday, March 16, 1982-9 and not together with the other exams. The problem with this is that with several hundred students taking an exam, the normal, bell shaped distribution cannot be guaranteed when dealing with the small number of students taking the conflict exam (about 12 in my case, com pared to the 600-700 who took the scheduled exam). This problem of unfair conflict exam policies is one which must be solved if this University is going to represent itself as an unbiased reflec tion of the abilities of each of its students. It is a shame that nothing has been done to correct a simple problem like this. Maybe by speaking out. and voicing our opinions, we can remedy this: ludicrous situation. atizr%oralF•
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers