opinions
editorial opinion
Lighting up the streets
Across the country, downtown merchants
are being mailed to death. White flight, a
struggling economy and the advent of fla
shy, sprawling malls have all caused them
to ring up their last sales.
Locally, the Nittany Mall offers downtown
merchants some competition. But State
College's downtown is still thriving large
ly because of the lucrative student market.
All efforts should be made to preserve the
profitability of downtown stores. And one
would think the State College Municipal
Council would be the bastion of support for
the downtown merchants.
But council President Joseph Wakeley Jr.
sure did not act that way during this week's
council meeting. Instead, he argued extensi
vely against installing new lights in College
Avenue's central business district.
Wakeley wanted the council to delay in
stalling the lights from South Pugh Street to
South Allen Street and from South Allen
Street to South Fraser Street until more
comprehensive planning is completed.
Wakeley's objection surfaced after the
council was told that the estimated cost of
lighting the first two blocks would be about
$90,000. The council has already allocated
$70,000 from last year's Community Devel
opment Block Grant funds for the project.
Last year's allocation was just another
round in the ongoing battle to light up the
downtown business district. The debate
reader opinion
Poor taste
I can appreciate the effort that The Daily
Collegian staff is making to bring the spirit of
the Sugar Bowl and the city of New Orleans to
all of us 'by printing several articles and
photographs of last week's events each day,
but is a shot of a male stripper really front
page news?
In addition to having the No. 1 football team
in the country, we also have the top-ranking
college daily newspaper. Let's not forget that.
And let's not forget what's in good taste!
J'anet•T. Young, Bth-labor studies
Jan. 5
Great teamwork
I would like. to express genuine congratula
tions and thanks to all players, coaches and
other instrumental persons who committed
themselves to the long hours of hard work
necessary-to win all the games which led to
the Sugar Baowl bid and eventually to the
national championship status that we are all
currently enjoying.
Each one of you played a special and
significant part in making Penn State No. 1!
ersonal finance o
Question: What are the best ways to
finance new car payments for a person just
out of college? Is leasing athiisab/e?
Answer: Leasing is an attractive way of
acquiring an automobile if you are comfort
able with the implications of a leasing
agreement. Your lease payment is based
largely on how much the car will depreciate
over the life of the lease.
The car loses most of its value in the first
year, and consequently, a one-year lease
will have much higher monthly payments
than a two-or three-year lease. At the end of
the lease, you normally have the option of
walking away from the car or purchasing it
at the current resale value.
If you like to obtain a new car every year
or two, leasing will save you the nuisance of
selling or trading your car each time, and
may not cost much more than an outright
purchase.
On the other hand, should the car prove to
be a disappointment, you may find it com
plicated and expensive to terminate the
lease early and get another car. Most new
car leasing plans also leave you responsible
for the same maintenance costs, registra
tion and license fees as you incur when you
buy.
The biggest advantage of financing a
purchase over leasing is probably the great
er flexibility in exchanging cars. You can
always pay off your loan and sell the car.
A common misconception is that leasing
carries special income tax advantages. This
is only true of a business, where lease
payments may be deducted as business
about new lighting has been going on since
1974. Since that time, different councils
have allocated a total of $600,000 for the
project, but only $BO,OOO of that has been
spent.
Plans for the new lighting have been
ensnared in a bureaucratic quagmire for
quite some time. And Wakeley would have
liked to drag the council in even deeper.
Before it proceeded with the lighting
program, Wakeley wanted the council to
develop an integrated plan for using the
block grant money and hire architects and
lighting experts to assist in the planning.
Fortunately, the council, by a 5-2 vote,
told Wakeley just what they thought of his
plans. Several astute members of the coun
cil pointed out that it is time for the council
to make a final decision on whether or not
the downtown should get more lights.
Now that the council has made a commit
tment to improve the lighting on College
Avenue, it should start looking at other
streets. Many of State College's streets are
poorly lighted, which makes walking down
one of them akin to weaving one's way
through a dim tunnel.
With a $662,000 surplus in its budget, the
council cannot expect its citizens to walk
through unsafe, dark streets. While it has
started to shed a little light on the matter,
there's still a lot of darkness out there..
But what makes me most proud of the
Nitt.iny Lion national champs is the way so '
many of you are giving credit where credit is
due to God and each other. As I think back
to the game in New Orleans, I remember
getting excited about each exhilarating touch
down and feeling proud about all the well'
executed tackles, interceptions and blocks.
But it wasn't even the moment when the
final second ticked off the official clock that
left a lasting impression on me; I most
clearly remember the post-game locker room
scene which revealed a happy but quiet group
of .grateful football players taking a moment
to give thanks to the Lord. My respect for the
team and its individual members continued to
grow as the players responded with reverence
and respect toward God and one another in
the interviews following the game.
I've been pleased to find that among all the
individual superstars on the team' the pre
vailing attitude has been one of downplaying
individual honors and accrediting team work.
Many of the players have also been eager to
share how their petsonal relationship with the
Lord affects their performance on and off the
field. The attitudes and actions of this team
prove to me that "we are No.l in many, many
ways."
I think that a slightly adapted version of the
expenses. Whether you borrow or lease, the
interet you pay is a tax deduction on a
personal tax return.
Pennsylvania also charges sales tax on
lease payments, which may be an additional
deduction beyond the sales tax table amount
for people who itemize their deductions.
Question: For the graduating senior, what
are your recommendations about starting
an Individual Retirement Account ?
Answer: I think the provision of the 1981
federal tax act permitting working individu
als to shelter up to $2,000 of their earned
income from current taxes is one of the most
consequential new opportunities available
to the working person in many years.
A single person with taxable income of
$15,000 will save over $5OO in federal income
taxes if they put $2,000 into an IRA. Granted,
it may be difficult to set aside this much, but
C I Ca:CIiW.A.LA
verse (Philippians 4:13) that Todd Black
ledge kept tucked in his mind during the tense
moments of the Nebraska game spells out the
outcome of the past season pretty well: We
can do all things through Him who strength-
We're all No. 1
Joe Paterno put it best when he said,
"We're No. 1, not only in football. We're
No. 1 in many, many things because we
are Penn State."
In what other ways is Penn State No. 1?
How great is Penn State in terms of its
research, its faculty, its intellectual cli-
mate?
Just how proud are Penn Staters of
their school? What does Penn State mean
to you?
The Daily Collegian wants to know. On
Tuesday, Jan. 11, the Collegian will de
vote its Op-ed page to Penn State, its
students, faculty and programs. Letters
(two-three pages typed) or forums (four
pages typed) must be submitted to the
Collegian office by Sunday, Jan. 8, at 5
p.m.
there is not requirement that you shelter the
full $2,000.
Many credit unions, mutual funds, and
some savings institutions allow you to open
an IRA with only $5O, and to add to.it at will.
It is also possible to have more than one IRA
—.provided that you do not exceed $2,000 in
contributions annually.
The main disadvantage of such an ac
count to you as a graduating senior is the 10
percent penalty you pay if you withdraw any
portion of the money prior to age 59. You
will very likely be interested in buying a
house at some point in the future, and saving
for a downpayment is an important part of
your financial planning.
The level of your salary, your current
financial situation, and your motivation to
save are all important factors in deciding
05t45 1.4145 'V - ` 24( `'
mose(
ci t aYle Collegian
Friday, Jan. 7,1983
Phil Gutis
Editor
The Daily Collegian's editorial opinion is determined by
its Board of Opinion, with the editor holding final
responsibility. Opinions expressed on the editorial
pages are not necessarily those of The Daily Collegian,
Collegian Inc. or The Pennsylvania State University.
Collegian Inc., publishers of The Daily Collegian and
related publications, is a separate corporate institution
from Penn State.
Board of Managers Assistant Business Manager: Judy
Smith; Office Manager: Kimberly Fox; Assistant Office
Manager: Colleen Waters; Sales Manager: Sue Beninati;
C)1983 Collegian Inc.
Paul Rudoy
Business Manager
ens us. We did it! Praise the Lord and thank p.m. when you so conveniently scheduled the
you all! momentous victory rally? Did it matter to
Lori A. Witmer, 12th-advertising
Jan. 4
Inconsiderate
Dear President Oswald,
I would like to congratulate you on another
of your well-planned actions, which occurred
Monday, Jan. 3.
Two days earlier, the Penn State football
team had accomplished a task that not only
brought home the - elusive national
championship, but also provoked much pride
and enthusiasm.
Joe Paterno and the team have always
given us something to celebrate and be proud
of, but this year was obviously different. We
were no longer a great football team, but
rather the premier team in the country,
whose accomplishments we do not have to
justify to anyone. Our record, schedule and
the polls have said it all. We are Penn State.
And Penn State is No.l.
Richard Largman, sth-division of undergrad
uate studies
Did it matter that students had classes at 4 Jan. 5
how much you can put away for the distant
future.
Question: I was given U.S. government
savings bonds as a child, but have since
misplaced the certificates. How do I go
about getting my money from the govern
ment?
Answer: Most commercial banks can
provide you with a form to request replace
ment of lost savings bonds. If you kow the
serial numbers of the missing bonds, the
process is a simple one. More than likely
you do not have this information, in which
case you must answer a number of ques
tions to help in researching the bond's
history (who might have purchased the
bonds, where, when, etc). The procedure
naturally takes longer in the latter case.
Question: Why is it that banks in State
College restrict the number of withdrawals
per week from my savings account, while at
the bank in my hometown, I may withdraw
as much as I want as many times as I want
per week?
Answer: Banks often tell you that they do
not like to have savings accounts used in the
same fashion as a checking account or NOW
account. They think the cost of servicing
numerous small transfers in these accounts
is usually prohibitive.
As you correctly point out, however, not
all institutions think that the loss of goodwill
outweighs the extra time involved. You may
be surprised to learn the bank probably has
the right to make you wait 30 days before
you can make any withdrawal from your
ordinary savings account. In practice, this
is seldom enforced.
Question: With the stabilization of prime
interest rates at about 11% percent, how
long will it be before the rates are adjusted
on mortgages and regular loans?
Answer: This is : a difficult question to
answer with confidence. Many financial
institutions were badly hurt by the high
interest rates of the last two years. A sav
ings and loan association, for instance, has
most of its assets in the form of home
mortgages, many of which are old and carry
• •
District Sales Managers: Jodi Shubin: Jon Kaplan; Lay
out Coordinator: Karen Rader; Creative Director: Randy
Rigdon; Co-op Coordinator: Sue Kiser; Marketing Man
ager: Barry Reichenbaugh; National Ad Manager: Donna
Streletzky; Assistant National Ad Manager: Lynn Mc-
Laughlin.
Letters Policy: The Daily Collegian encourages com
ments 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 verification 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 received, the Collegian cannot guar
antee publication of all the letters it receives.
The Daily Collegian
0/ DID?? AND WO
0/ FIGHT/N'
INPAYD - Alt" 91108)
omemINER?
iris ALL Youg
Dole, 0'04,1
you that many students had' midterms ap
proaching in those classes, which made class
attendance mandatory?
Obviously not! Why, then, didn't you cancel
classes? I considered cutting my class so I
could express my appreciation to the football
team for what they had done; but as an
administrator in Old Main had proclaimed,
"Classes are not canceled. Academics come
before athletics at Penn State."
I agree with this pokure, as I am sure Joe
Paterno and the rest of the team do. Why,
then, was the rally held at 4 p.m.? What
happened to weeknights, or better yet, the
weekend when most everyone could attend?
Joe Paterno and the team have indeed
given us something to celebrate, and you have
taken it away. I'm Penn State Proud, damn
proud too bad many other Penn Staters and
I were not afforded the opportunity to share
our feelings with the team.
interest rates of 7 percent or less.
The high money market rates (17-plus
percent) of 1981 caused many of these insti
tutions to lose money because they were
paying out more than they were taking in.
It is often said the financial community
has a long memory, and the lending institu
tions are understandably reluctant to com
mit themselves to long-term mortgage rates
significantly below the norm of the recent
past.
I think there will be a downward drift in
mortgage rates in the years ahead, but it
will be a long time before they return to
single digits.
Question: Are there any great differences
between the major credit cards (VISA,
Mastercard and American Express)?
Answer: VISA and Mastercard are called
bank credit cards because they are spon
sored by a bank or savings and loan associa
tion. The name of the sponsoring institution
is printed on the face of the card.
You may obtain more than one VISA or
Mastercard. All of these cards are very
similar except for the annual fee, if any,
that the bank charges you for having the
card, and the credit limit that the bank
establishes for you.
American Express is a national credit
card, as are Carte Blanche and Diners'
Club. A major difference between these
cards and the bank cards is that your
balance on a national card must be paid in
full when you receive your bill.
Extended payment plans (with finance
charges) are the custom with the bank
cards. All national credit cards carry 'an
annual fee, which can be as much as $5O.
Bank card fees are much lower, but the
cards have less prestige.
Robert A. Strong, a finance lecturer for the
College of Business Administration, fields
many questions from his students in class.
Strong writes a bi-weekly financial column
to answer some of those questions and help
students in their personal investments.
Friday, Jan. 7
reader opinion
Parasitical
It has been more than a month since my
letter concerning sorority housing on campus
appeared in The Daily Collegian but in view of
the decision last week by the Panhellenic
Council to invite nine more sororities to
"colonize the campus," I am moved to relate
some of the feedback I received.
The general reaction was predictably fa
vorable, common sense prevailing as it does
throughout the general student body. Just as
predictably; I received some harassing tele
phone calls and a few dismissable, tangled
arguments from sorority women.
One reaction stands out from the others. I
was accosted in the dining hall by a dis
gruntled "sister" after I inadvertently allow
ed my veil of anonymity to slip. Though the
sororities will no doubt consider her an unfor
tunate choice as a spokeswoman, 18 nonethe
less cannot resist sharing these extracts from
her "defense" of sororities:
"Females are naturally catty and
backstabbing, so why do you just pick on
sororities?"
"The reason we are prettier than the inde-
Thursday &.Friday Night
The Rathskeller
presents
Bobcat
• Friday Happy Hours
Music Continuous 9:30-1:00
s •
AUDITIONS
AND CREW SIGN-UP
FOR THE PENN STATE THESPIANS WINTER
CHILDREN'S SHOW,
PLAYGROUND
Will be held Sunday' & Monday, January 9th
& 10th from 7-10 PM in SCHWAB Auditorium.
Roles for 5 women and 7 men
STAFF POSITIONS STILL AVAILABLE:
STAGE MANAGER
PRODUCTION MANAGER
SET CONSTRUCTION HEAD
MASTER CARPENTER
Questions? Call Ron Gallop at 237-0698 or
attend open meeting on Sunday the 9th, 1:30
POSITIONS STILL AVAILABLE FOR "KISS ME KATE"
.
VIII
pendents is because we take better care of
ourselves."
"If they had 70 women to trade clothes with,
they would be well dressed too."
These gems from a member of the "socially
superior elite" need no further comment.
I did receive one relatively literate re
sponse. Ostensibly written by a non-sorority
woman, it had all the earmarks of a collabo
rative effort.
She seemed confused about my use of the
term "subsidized housing," inferring that I
meant free housing. Everyone who lives in
dorms is receiving subsidized housing, but not
everyone is guaranteed it by virtue of mem
bership in a private, exclusive organization.
The cost of 70 sorority women living together
is exactly the same whether they live off
campus or in dorms. The difference lies in
who pays the cost.
My reader argued that because the Univer
sity appropriated some sorority cottages on
Shortlidge Road "about 20 years ago," any
and all sororities are forever entitled to
University subsidized housing. I agree that
the University once had some limited obliga
tion to the half dozen or so sororities which
in 307 HUB
la l w.aT FA
.. ii
UNIVERSITY CALENDAR
SPECIAL EVENTS
Friday-Sunday, January 7-9
Friday, January 7
GSA Happy Hour, 4:30-6 p.m.; Commonsplace Coffehouse, 8-11 p.m.,
Room 102 Kern.
PSU Wargamers, 6 p.m., Room 107 Sackett.
Cinematheque, The Key, 7 and 9 p.m., HUB ASsembly Room. Also Jan. 8.
Chi Alpha worship and prayer, 7:30 p.m., Eisenhower Chapel Lounge.
Sports: wrestling vs. lowa State, 8 p.m., hockey vs. Geneseo State, 9:15
p.m.
Barbara Harback-George, organ recital, 8:30 p.m., Recital Hall
Artists Series, Compagnie Philippe Genty, 8:30 p.m., Schwab.
•
Saturday, January 8
Sports: women's fencing vs. Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Peter's, 9 a.m.;
men's basketball vs. St. Bonaventure, 1:30 p.m.,; hockey vs. Geneseo
State, 7 p.m.; women's basketball vs. Connecticut, 7:30 p.m.
GSA Interact Seminar, 11 a.m., Room 108 Forum.
PSU Wargamers, noon, Room 107 Sackett. Also Jan. 9.
Artists Series, Disney Saturday, Swiss Family Robinson, 10:30 a.m. and 2
p.m., Schwab.
Student Film Organization Film Series, Knife in the Water, 7, 9 and 11
p.m., Room 121 Sparks. Also Jan. 9.
Sunday, January 9
P.S. Thespians meeting, 1:30 p.m., Room 307 HUB
La Vie meeting, 7 p.m., Room 320 HUB.
OPE \ NIGHTS UNTIL 8:30 M
VISA MC & AM ERICAN EXPRESS
were evicted (from cottages they didn't own
anyway) a generation ago. It is difficult to
see, however, what that has to do with the 18
sororities which now occupy Pollock and
South Halls.
In Pollock and South Halls, fully 42 percent
of the female dorm space is reserved for the
exclusive use of sororities! University-wide,
15 percent of the female allotment is re
served. Panhel is trying to get the Office of
Residential Life to increase this to 24 percent,
to make way for ten more sororities, with still
another already scheduled to move into Heis
ter Hall. Clearly this trend cannot be allowed
to continue or women will be forced to join
sororities just to have a reasonable shot at
getting dorm space on campus.
Some formula should be found to wean the
sororities from the dorms and get them off
campus where thay .can live at their own
rather than the public expense.
As my house representative in the Pollock-
Nittany Residence Hall Association, I voice
the unanimous sentiments of my constituents.
They view the sorority situation as "parasiti- .
cal." The University, and Residential Life in
particular, is derelict in its responsibility to
J ~~
~ /
IT ALL OCNES IOGETHEF-1-
i V
Looking for an alternative housing option? Come to
an Informal slide show on the Interest House
Program the program will be presented at B:3opm
in the specified dorm areas:
North
West
PollocklNllleny
Centre Pollock Rec. Room 'Sunday
South Haller Lounge Monday
Warnock Lounge
Waring Loungo
Findlay Plano Lounge Wednesday January 12
• Refreshments will be served •
' ,
giaTe
foot
CALDER SC:A.OBE3I'
provide for the needs and well-being of all
housing residents when it dedicates so large a
part of the housing resources to the privileged
few.
Thomas Miller, house representative
Pollock-Nittany Residence Hall Association
Dec. 14
Sugarbowl Surprise
Hey, Penn State fans, if you haven't lost
your taste for holiday treats yet, try cooking
this one up:
1 Fresh "Coach of the Year"
1 Large ripe quaterback
4 Outstanding running backs (top choice)
1 Fresh underrated offensive line
31ncredible receivers (unbruised)
1 Helluva defense (the tough sinewy kind)
1 Extra-sharp place kicker
1 Special-T-team (these are often hard to
get ahold of) ,
1 Bunch Georgia Bulldawgs (preferably
washed) •
Place ingredients in a genuine "Super Dome"
mixing bowl and stand back! No need to stir,
o lit Every Day is a Banquet at
SOUTH SEA
CHINESE RESTAURANT
Meals include
egg roll, steamed rice or fried rice,
dessert, hot tea
Please bring your own wine or liquor with you
For reservations or takeout call 238-8843
Closed Sunday
Business Hours everyday 4:30-10p.m.
January 3
January 6
January 9
January 10
Vi M plrtrui RattA P RR ow Pli ROMA NI muipAnn.rutoulnA Furnyi an ram"' ,
E . ALPHA XI DELTA 3
proudly announces its winter pledge class 3
3
E Dana Condrick Lisa Korona
E Jayna Hutchinson . • Pam Ninness 1
E. Jo d yK
nouse
E 'Rena Searfass 3
E ' U• 154 We're psyched to have you! 3
3 .
• it Wirld iii11:1111,11WIN 141:1‘11 WY WillillifliWidll WIN WIi.INIVII 101101,11111 il l Ink
CHEAP THRILLS
WINTER CLEARANCE
The Outdoor Shop:
25% OFF Ascente Down Coats
40 %-50 % OFF All Other Outerwear
$l5 OFF Dunham Insulated Boots
25% OFF Robert Bruce Sweaters
Juniors Section:
20% OFF Junior Cords
1 / 3 to 1 / 2 OFF Junior Sweaters
$5 OFF Bonjour & Jessie Jeans
1 / 3 OFF Blouses
PLUS
15% OFF All Levi & Lee
Corduroy Jeans
25% OFF Rugby Shirts
L AO I 118 W College Ave
penis Hours Mon-Fri 9:30-6
1 P Th a r 0 s 9
3 9 3 5 7
Sat
0
The Daily Collegian Friday, Jan. 7, 1983-11
as this recipe beats itself vigorously. Also, no
need to bake, as the temperature instantly
reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow to
"cook" for exactly 60 minutes. For extra
flavor garnish with plenty of loyal fans.
Result: The sweetest tasting cake you'll
ever have and get to eat too. Enjoy enjoy!
David Moyle, graduate -metallurgy
Dec. 3
Brotherhood
In 1983, the logic being handed to the
American people is that we need the MX as an
incentive to achieve arms reductions. This is
ridiculous. We need to tell the Russians that
the American people are in favor of the
brotherhood of mankind. We will not achieve
this by increasing military spending for MX
missiles. The American people must be
heard, the world must be saved; we must turn
our attention to enhancing humanity, not
destroying it.
Mark Glickstein, 11th-individual and family
studies
Jan. 4
. 1225 Benner Pike
(Across from Starlite Drive-In)
Free Parking
1 0. K.
Starting at
at
$3.75