opinions editorial opinion A risk worth taking It's plain ridiculous. After 18 months of rough taxpayers when local entrepreneurs benign political banter, the State College are willing to make the financial commit- Municipal Council still can't reconcile the ment. McAllister Alley problem. And what would be the real benefit of Plans to close the alley to vehicular traffic closing off an alley simply for the sake of and construct a pedestrian mall were re- redirecting traffic? Yes, one less dangerous jected after the municipal solicitor in- intersection would result, but an aban formed council it" could face a court doned, untraveled roadway would lead to challenge. Under the proposal, the borough vandalism and loitering. would still have possession of the alley, Also, the optimal solution would not in while the owners of The Tavern Restaurant, volve a borough-constructed walkway. 220 E. College Ave., would pay to construct What real pleasure could be derived from and maintain the mall. sitting in a bleak pedestrian walkway? The council is also not sure of the alterna- Sipping a cool drink at an outdoor cafe tive to close the alley and construct a certainly sounds more inviting than staring borough-financed walkway. at a brick wall in an abandoned alley. It's inexcusably pathetic that council members took 18 months to discover their The Tavern's owners have made an offer , ignorance of the issue's legal consequences, for construction of outdoor dining. They've considering the municipal solicitor's initial made an offer to beautify borough property. warning signal came in November of 1981. And they've proposed a way to do it without Certainly the council must digest the spending precious borough tax dollars. 10 implications both positive and negative How much longer than the 18 months it's that construction of such a mall would pose. taken council to request research for the i : But at this point, a year-and-a-half later, proposal's potential legal problems will the -, Municipal Solicitor Robert Kistler cued in offer stay intact? on the problem when he said, "spend the Council members can only hope that The funds on a plan and let someone sue us." Tavern owners remain dedicated to the ' Council should approve the proposal that project, but they must realize that dedica- iorr. Tavern owners Pat Daugherty and Bill tion has its limits. - Tucker submitted: to spend $40,000 on the It's too late for foresight on the part of : mall, which would include an outside dining, council members. The time has long passed •, area for the Tavern Restaurant. for overly cautious, conservative consider- It does not seem logical to place the ations. It's time to take action even if that . , financial burden of such a project on bo- action implies risks. •. or ieqder opinion Thanks for caring On behalf of the 500 million hungry in the Slate College Area, the United States and the world, we thank all of you who participated in Vome way' in the "Fast for the Hungry" March 21 to 24. Whether through fasting and/or donating money to the State College Area Food Bank, peeking to better your understanding of the bng& problem through participation in the programs of speakers, films and discussions offered or volunteering your time and en itgies in publicity, programming, etc., we *re grateful for your concern. The State college Area Food Bank thanks all of you for .;your support.' We also want to thank our speakers, the .Sience, Technology and Science program :and the Penn State film library for providing 'the experfise and resources for the educatio nal programming. We thank the Msociated Student Activities 'office as well as the entire HUB staff for all of their help in the details of the program. We ;also thank the HUB Sign Shop and the Arts 'and Architecture Interest House for painting 'the banners. Finally, we thank our own seer& jary who was of help with numerous aspect of the Fast. Minority situation: no problem "I thought the issue was equality in terms of respect and opportunity, not in terms of percentages," stated Kevin Ramsey on the March 28th editorial page. Many people who complain about the so-called statis tical underrepresentation of blacks at Penn State like to blame it on racism. Why not? It's easy, popular and' one can get away with it. In response to Ramsey's logical suggestion to make student recruiting racially unbiased, USG Senator Darnell Daisey wrote on the April 12 Daily Collegian Op-Ed page that "the system is already biased biased toward those who were given the opportunity of obtaining a good education. and wealth." He calls the net result racism. Daisey (and many others) entirely miss the point. What is Penn State• biased against: race, or poor educational background and/or lack of financing? If it's the latter two, then Penn State is not a racist institution. Generally, many blacks are educated in inner-city schools and public schools in the rural South; both are notorious for poor education. And people from these areas aren't exactly rolling in money; many can't afford an education at a top-notch university. Penn State reflects these probleMs; it certainly isn't the root cause. Should Penn State be responsible for offsetting the problems of poor education and lack of money? The University could simply accept black students with little regard to educational background, but what There are no simple solutions or easy answers to the plobem of feeding the hungry of the world. But there are solutions and answers to be worked for to provide all of the world's inhabitants with the food they need. One of our speakers spoke of a "philosophy of solidarity" with regard to the poor and hungry of the world. Solidarity means a willingness to work for and with the poor aOnd hungry to find solutions to the problems which involve all of us as human persons on the earth. Solidarity is a commitment to work for justice for all of the world's people. Again, thank you for your participation in the Fast. Timothy Spring, intern pastor University Lutheran Parish April 4 Bad Press I wonder why The Daily Collegian and other newspapers have not questioned the coverage of minorities at Penn State by The Pittsburgh Press. , Two individuals quoted extensively in the Press later indicated that the Press coverage would this accomplish? Author Thomas Sowell pro vides some insights: " . . . there is little humanitaria nism in having a youngster's hopes raised unrealistically, then wasting two or three years of his life as he struggles to meet standards for which he lacks preparation and finally booting him out after he has served his statistical purpose." Should graduation and classroom standards be low ered? That question is so ridiculous it doesn't deserve an answer. Should Penn State try to , attract black students specifically in some other fashion? How? Any serious student is attracted to a university because of high educational standards and a top-notch faculty. A good education can't be tailored to any specific race or culture. Many foreign students come from entirely different cultures to study here. If Penn State can attract these students, it can attract anybody. Now, what about this pseudo-racist atmosphere here at Penn State? Many complain that, among other things, blacks and whites cluster at separate tables. I see more of a division between Asian students and whites, but I don't hear anyone complaining about this. If people aren't randomly distributed in terms of culture, race or language, then they're probably not randomly distributed in the lunchroom or anywhere else. No government or university can or should try to decide who should be associating with whom and to what extent. Equality or racial justice can't be measured through statistical analysis. Penn State has nothing to be ashamed of. Attacking Penn State for something it's not responsible for is like breaking a thermometer because it registers a fever. The main purpose of a university is to provide a quality education, hot to be used as a tool for someone else's arbitrary ideas of social justice. Kelly Fracassa is a graduate student in business administration and a columnist for The Daily Colle gian. was misleading because it concentrated near ly exclusively on a few negative comments about the University'made in interviews. Does it not strike anyone that the recruiting competition between colleges and universi ties in the Pittsburgh area and Penn State for students and student athletes may encourage the Press to make Penn State look bad? Minority recruitment and retention is a recognized problem at Penn State. The Press appears to be taking unfair adVantage, how ever. Bill Pounds, class of 1975 April 8 Jobs and ERA - To Kelly Fracassa : I am not sure if you wrote your piece against the ERA as an exercise in debate or if you meant it. In either case, there are several points with which I must take issue. Ms. Friedam and Ms. Smeal have pointed out some real reasons why we need to keep fighting for the ERA. Women are not inher ently lazy people. Why do you think women doctors see 40 percent fewer patients? Be cause there is a large proportion of the NEVER MET p MkN 1 cnom t l Loa UMIIL. j wier Penn State's attitude problem Recently, because of the Op-Ed page on the minority situation and the response it has generated, I've heard much anger from those who contend that the blame for the situation should not fall on the University. Today, the other columnist in this section argues the same point that the problem is not Penn State's, that the problem began earlier in the educational system and doesn't concern this non-racist university. But this University is part of the entire educational system. The administration cannot simply point fin gers at those involved with pre-college levels of educa tion, charging them with the responsibility of mending the situation "in the lower grades." The same administratorS cannot and should not neglect the problem at the university level because it does not cease to be a problem at that level. A problem does exist at the University, and it is more than the statistical underrepresentation of minorities. Its cause is rooted in more than the University's inability to recruit or retain minorities and it cannot be adequately addressed by spouting percentages and quotas or goals. Rather, those statistics are manifestations, or results of, an attitude. The statistics reflect the University's and students' attitude on the issue. And they send a message on the attitude to those minorities considering attending Penn State: "You can come here, but don't plan on staying on very long." population (mostly male) who won't go to a woman doctor because of her gender. This kind of archaic thinking could lead to job discrimination in hospitals and clinics. Woman doctors see fewer patients not be cause they are lazy, but because of the primitive attitudes of many people in the U.S. population. If women can "rise above" their cultural restrictions, how can they be given the chance if, legally, they have no right to fight these prejudices? Further, please note the word "cultural.'! The problem is not that women make bad executives but that some women (and some men) make bad executives. Without the ERA those women who are business oriented have no guarantee of receiving the same pay for the same work unless they are willing to start their own businesses. Yes, promotions and salary' decisions should be based on ability. Women, however, need further protection from the male em ployer who is resentful of the bright upstart who is "just going to get married and have babies anyway." I am sorry, but "college degrees and who has been in what position for how long" is important in deciding salary and promotions. If these things were not, important, why are goaVlot_ The Daily Collegian you in graduate school in business adminis tration? Or, are you afraid that you may not get hired because a better qualified (gasp) wom an may get hired instead? Without the ERA women will have a harder time facing "the real cultural restrictions" imposed by threatened men. Women who have "successfully bypassed" these preju dices did it with no thanks to men like you. Candace B. Levy, graduate-anthropology April 7 dairy Collegian Thursday, April 14, 1983 V 1983 Collegian Inc Suzanne M. Cassidy Judith Smith Editor Business Manager 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. So it's more than a numerical lack of black faculty, a numerical lack of programs and a numerical lack of fellow students it's an attitude that says this Univer sity doesn't see the need to change those numbers. So many things at the University are results of this attitude, things that the University should indeed be ashamed of and and at least acknowledge, if not actively work to rectify. Little things like students clustering at dining hall tables according to color and not according to a willingness to share their individuality, diversity and friendship. Things like students receiving reproach for reaching outside•their group to someone who doesn't fit that particular group mold. But is that the University's fault? Isn't it the fault of those individuals, a product of their own tenacity and unwillingness ta.."break away?" It's everyone's including the University's fault to some extent. The University, like the individuals making the supposedly free choices to stay apart, cannot be excused. Something is wrong at an institution when groups feel the need to stay segregated because they perceive an "us against them" ,situation a situation that should not exist at the University, a situation that must change. The details of the situation such as upgrading education at all levels and hiring more black faculty surely must change. But before these things make the transition, the attitude must change. We must put aside our anger, resentment and flame throwing long enough to acknowledge and admit that the problem is there. We have to take ourselves off opposing teams and work together as people whether we're black or white or Asian people toward making the University an attractive educational and social institution for anyone, regardless of race. Renae Hardoby is a 12th-term prelaw major and editorial editor of The Daily Collegian. Thursday, April 14 emnas No cheers for cheerleading anymore Tension. It's all around her, settling in the pit of her stomach as her number is called. She ,walks over to the judges and smiles. They stare back. For a moment she goes blank, but then the music starts and it's too late to back out. She puts on her best smile, and like a wind-up doll, kicks and jumps. She is nervous, but still she smiles. After all, this is cheerleading tryouts, and cheerleading is supposed to be fun. Cheerleading the word means excitement and glamour and smiles. But people at Penn State don't smile any more when cheerleading is mentioned. Too many people are too bitter about certain aspects of cheerleading. , ' -7,, ,,„ '.:. '1 I t .-,‘, ; ''''' '`--.?:. ~:'.• I I, i Some people are very happy with cheerleading, especially those that made it at tryouts. But what about those who didn't make the squad? The criticisms that I have heard about cheerleading and the tryouts are too many, and from too many different sources, to be a simple case of sour grapes. Tryouts will naturally involve a certain amount of anxiety and emotion. A lqt is-at stake. The squad doesn't just cheer they cheer for a No. 1 football team in front of 80,000 people, not to R EA D Ric &CYCL E The Collegian Mother Earth Thank You. eKtY '' , Re. Dist.' . ' ' . stAL L W Beer eAve. s ' 1321 ~ 3 : 2 . 20uv-0 ilii -,_,....eir- ~ , itifEL— r, t,...„--141 itiELOAD - ' ' ---. "7- • 11;filr- visER .; FGHT • Et/DWI rSER l''' s M --- nwE. ,t..;:., BUTT—cif ,PRTsiii-GHT ;J.;,L;: ;,. r''''''' t" ' 8 taitir TRA Id . • A LE .;....:.::: ....,,,,:,,t;), NA h/EKEN _ipsEN BON , Rl BB ° r BLUE s ' ALE A 85.... , . m ALE t PA NESEE C. 8 • 00 N " . "' ' ' GE N SEE ',EIS& . - ... ' -,,--- ..;i -s . „,,G3F---. EN‘l,-2: GOLP ~- ..; :,...o -i , .. . ;....,,%. b r ..,16 - -, 1 ici,),,.- ~ e-4,. ..14. 3t..- ; ,- • ' ';''.7:"`-' .' '-%?P4•?i ..:,e,ll-.7.411',.. ~ .i \\\ Snuggle up to our Sleeping Bag Savings! Save up to $40.00 on selected sleeping bags: Bristlecone Black Ice Summit Designs Bristlecone 30° Bag was $91.00 NOW $73.00 Black Ice Timberline Bag was $117.00 NOW $99.50 Bristlecone 10° Bag was $112.00 NOW $89.00 Summit Designs Tamarak Bag was 80.00 NOW $72.00 North Face Superlight (down) was $230.00 NOW $195.00 Black Ice Starlight Bag was $199.00 NOW $167.00 Marmot North Face appalachian outdoor house 324 W. College Ave. near Atherton St. • open M-S 9.5:30, Th 'til 8:30 234.4284 Z) eAf -morrow: Abby sar. tavern ITh crickletwoddrtue • 2.31-1049 mention a few television cameras But first, they have to get through first cuts What if the woman gets placed on the end of the tryout line, and the judges don't notice her? It happens. • A woman can get cut even if she was good just for being placed at tryout line's end. How else can one explain why a woman doesn't make it past second cuts one year, then the next makes varsity? If she hasn't changed her weight or her dance style, the other explanation is that the judges didn't focus on her the first year. What do the judges notice anyway? They want that smile, that Penn State image, but.what if the woman has the smile but can't dance, or vice versa? I wouldn't want to be a judge. Their problems can get worse. They have to match up the women with the men, so that the men don't have to strain themselves doing the lifts. This makes sense, but the system has a flaw. It excludes some of the best women just because there are no male cheerleaders strong enough to lift them. If a woman has all the qualifications for a cheerleader, if she has something to offer Penn State, she shouldn't be cut .because of a few Judges who have all these worries shouldn't also have to concern themselves with accusations that tryouts are "fixed." One way to ensure unbiased judging would be to bring in judges that are not affiliated with Penn State but do know something about cheerleading. With unbiased judges, cheerleaders would be less likely to be chosen based.on who they know rather than what they know. At the very least, the judges should be rotated every few years so that the same people don't judge year after year. The new judges should attend a seminar where they are told exactly what to look for. They need some clear guidelines in addition to a simple list of, criteria to use to determine what is average and what is a 10 on the 10-point rating scale. One way to give the judges some basis for comparison would be to require that everyone go through first cuts, even those who were on the squad the year before. All the students trying out want the same job, and a privileged few shouldn't be excused from first and second cuts. No one group should have precedence over the others tryitig out. " But tryouts are only one aspect of cheerlead ing. When tryouts are over, it doesn't mean that the cheerleaders are free to rest on their laurels. They have shown their talent for kicking, jumping, and lifting, but the intensity of tryouts doesn't carry over into the field. Granted, they do their routines and show off their lifts, but how often do they really get the crowd going? Their cheers for the crowd lack innovation. They need to channel some of the creativity they put into their dance routines into some methods for getting the crowd involved. . People get tired of shouting "State" after "Penn" all the time. Cheerleaders need some thing different, something new to get the crowd roaring for those players and'for their school. The lion does more to psych up the crowd than the whole cheerleading squad. Maybe we should pick twelve lions. Kim Clark is a 6th-term English major and a columnist for The Daily Coltegian reader opinion Hush hush Dear Delta Tau Delta members, I am glad to see the University You recently wrote to The Daily administration and James Watt think. Collegian concerning its "dispropor- alike. The administration, like James tionate attention" to the stabbing at Watt, thinks rock and roll attracts the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. I know'you "wrong people." We will not have boys like to keep incidents such as rock and roll in Beaver stadium, and, this "hush-hush" so as not to bring ' there will be no rock and roll in: bad public relations down upon your Washington on the Fourth of July. fraternity and others, but an incident Why stop here? If the administra-: such as this is unusual. tion is going to think like James Watt, , let it go all the way. Let's lease out It is especially unusual at an insti- the natatorium to oil companies for tution promoting "fraternity." A offshore drilling, and let's get the comparable ideological incident , might be a member of the NAACP lumber companies to come in and clear out the trees on campus before, marching with the Ku •Klux Klan. they begin to turn green. Perhaps if such institutions really did James Watt has told us the Beach; promote fraternity and not elitism Boys bring in bad people, Wayne this unfortunate incident might not Newton brings in a "good people." , have occurred. The names of these Let's take the money from leasing the institutions wouldn't be besmirched natatorium and selling our trees to and no one would have to worry about get Wayne Newton to come to Happy keeping an image. Valley. He is a "good person" who: Though incidents like this are un- would bring the "right people" to fortunate, their absurdity is multi- Happy Valley. plied when they occur at a James Watt and the administration "fraternity." should not stop with what music they. As such they, should be published want us to hear, tell us which books are "right," the kind of clothing good with greater emphasis than similar incidents in the non-Greek commu- people fr wear and who should be r iends. nity, which you are also a part of I might add. I am thankful that there are people like James Watt and the administra, Timothy J. Kelly, 7th-business ad- tion who know what is best. for everyJ ministration one member of the human race April 13 The Daily Collegian Thursday, April 14, 1983r-9 Waft knows best Bradford Hollowbush, 10th-mechani: cal engineering •
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers