The daily collegian. (University Park, Pa.) 1940-current, April 21, 1983, Image 6

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    opinions
editori4;xl opinion
Self-service
The Undergraduate Student Gov
ernment Senate has just demon
strated quite a talent in the art of
self-service.
Monday night, the senate barely
passed a revised bill allocating $750
.of its budget to this year's Movin'
On. They also allocated $9OO to a
banquet at Gatsby's, 100 W. College
Ave., for the formal induction of
the 1983-84 USG executives, senate
and Academic Assembly person
, nel.
Despite the possibility that the
concert may not be held next year
and that, funds raised this year
will be donated to charity the
USG appropriations committee cut
• in,lfalf the original request for $l,-
'5OO for Movin' On.
Something is wrong.
Indeed, something is seriously
wrong when the senate cuts the
budget request for an event that
thousands of students enjoy and
then sees fit to fund a banquet for
only 150 people in student govern
ment.
The allocation for the banquet
was not at the expense of funds for
Movin' On. It is the first time USG
has allocated any funds , for Movin'
reader opinion
Be specific
Antonia Zapata, I don't doubt that
the problems of minority students are
more complicated than my "analy
iis" in my March 28 letter, mainly
because I wasn't analyzing the prob
lems of minority students. My pur-
Pose was, to criticize proposed
Vsolutions" as they were presenteil in
an editorial opinion and that is all..
You say that "the problem doesn't
lie in entering Penn State," but many
of the complaints and threats to de-
Crease funding are directed at that
area. The fact that I agree with your
statement is one of the reasons I
wrote my first letter on March 28.
You also said you had never felt the
subtle "problem" until you were at
Penn State. It doesn't seem strange
that you found something different
here because all of the previous
chools you listed were in urban
areas and abroad. This is the rural
North and just like the rural South
there are a lot of prejudices that run
deep. How anyone expects Penn State
to solve such racial tensions, I don't
know.
Nuclear freeze first step to peace
"Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that
one of these days, governments had better get out of the
way and let them have it!" President Eisenhower,
Aug. 31, 1959.
That day is today and the freeze is what people want.
Starting in New England town meetings, spreading to
Hollywood studios, then to ballots in 10 states, and now
the halls of Congress, the freeze has risen from the
people. It may change the course of the arms race.
Here's the freeze resolution the House is debating
and may vote on today or tommorrow:
(1) As an immediate strategic arms control objec
tive, the. United States and the Soviet Union should:
(a) pursue a complete halt to the nuclear arms race;
(b) decide when and how to achieve a mutual and
verifiable freeze on the testing, production, and further
deployment of nuclear warheads, missiles, and other
delivery systems, and
(c) give special attention to destabilizing weapons
whose deployment would make such a freeze more
difficult to achieve.
(2) Proceeding from this' freeze, the United States
and the Soviet Union should pursue major, mutual, and
verifiable reductions in nuclear warheads, missiles,
and other delivery systems, through annual percent
ages or equally effective means, in a manner that
enhances stability.
Is this freeze a good idea? First, for a freeze to work
it must be verifiable. William Colby, former director of
the CIA and not generally known to be a dupe of
Moscow, strongly supports the freeze and states that it
is verifiable.
Now let's consider the recent history of the arms race
On and it should be commended for
funding what is technically not its
project or responsibility.
However, the senate missed the
boat. It has been under fire for not
providing benefits -for the whole
student body. It could have and
should have gone all out to help
the Association of Residence Hall
Students with Movin' On.
The fact that the senate didn't
makes the $9OO banquet look all the
more self-serving.
And while the ideas of promoting
a better working relationship for
those involved in USG's personnel
transition and rewarding members
for service are good, those goals
can be accomplished without a $9OO
banquet at Gatsby's.
It seems the senators think $750
is a lot of money when it's going to
help Movin' On, but $9OO is not a lot
of money when it's being spent on
members of their own organiza
tion.
Attitudes like these make all the
"we work for the students and their
best interests" argument seem
nothing more than empty rhetoric.
They serve only to destroy student
government's . credibility in the
eyes of the student body.
Although you didn't specify exactly
what the subtle "problem" is, , you
cited "in-groups." Yes, I know they
exist and yes, I do ask why you can't
get the information you Deed from
other minority students.
Isn't it possible for some of the
minority groups on campus to start a
test , file yvhich includes papers and
projects or whatever was required in
various courses? More importantly,
are things really that bad that minori:
ty students can't get any help or
cooperation from anyone?
I guess things could be that bad as
all I have knowledge of is engi
neering. Most of the engineering stu
dents I have met are willing to help
each other so I must concede the
possiblity that mine is a sheltered
life. If these "in-groups" are really
forcing students out of school,
shouldn't the complaints and debates
be directed there? '
"Weed-out" courses'are indeed dif
ficult as I have learned because I had
to take several myself. A few friends
decided to leave after taking such
courses and they were white. Does•
that surprise you?
°lts‘4 7
Well, I agree that wrongs should be
remedied and individuals should be
helped just because they are human
kind, but don't ask or expect Penn
State to change the opinions and
prejudices of its students.
If you want to get more done than
talk, you must identify specific prob
lems that exist in the system because
that is all this university can really
control. All the threats of funding cuts
in the world will not change that fact.
Kevin M. Ramsey, 12th-environmen
tal engineering
April 14
Clean sweep
Yes, let's clear up the West College
blemish. Let's invite the landlords to
join in a partnership with the bo
rough. Let's put more money in their
pockets and take more out of mine.
If you haven't noticed by now, State
College is a university town. Take
away the University and what do you
have? Zero.
and arms control
The president has been advised to put the MX missile
in existing, supposedly vulnerable silos, and to build a
new, small, mobile missile with one warhead.
Back in the 19605, when Reagan was governor of
California, the Soviets and we had missiles with one
warhead. Then the United States became worried that
a Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) system would be
able to render "these nuclear weapons impotent and
obsolete," to borrow a phrase from the president.
So we invented the MIRV technology 'for putting
more than one bomb on top of each missile. By
overloading the. Soviet ABM system with many war
heads, U.S. planners felt it could be defeated.
In 1972, the SALT I treaty limited ABM systems thus
negating much of the original justification for the
MIRV. At this time, we had the MIRV and the Soviets
did not. We decided not to try negotiating an
limiting MIRV's. We had an advantage.
By the late 1970 s the Soviets had matched our MIRV
deployment. Building MIRVed missiles was supposed
to make us safer. Now the president tells us the other
guys MIRVs have made us less safe.
Today, the president's advisers are ready to close the
circle. They advise that we "build back" the clock to
the simpler days of missiles with one warhead.
The freeze says stop the clock, stop the arms race
now.
If a freeze had been instituted in the early '7os then
MIRV's might never have been developed because they
couldn't have been tested. When Reagan accepted the
new MX plan on Aprill9, he said the MX "will mean a
safer, more secure America. . ." Sound familiar?
A politician would never announce a weapon that
would mean a "less secure America." But the reality is
that, depite the SALT aggrements and the weapons
programs, the world has become less and Jess safe as
the arms race rushes forward.
Will opening a new round in the arms race make us,
safer? Or in 10 years will we look back and wonder how
much safer the world might have been had we tried for ,
a freeze in 1983?
John Dougherty is a 14th-term geoscience major and a
columnist for The Daily Collegian.
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the
daily Collegian
Thursday, April 21, 1983 ©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
So why are the students, as well as
those of us who only work here,
continually called upon to sacrifice so
many of those little amenities that
make the "good life" almost bearable
things like insurance and medical
benefits, fair wages and an inexpen
sive place to live? Not to mention a
, little self-respect and human dignity.
The students, the transients, the
lower-class blue collar workers
lump them all together and sweep
them out of town. Isn't that what
you're talking about when you start
campaigning for improved appear
ances? Anothei middle-class tinsel
town? Picket fences and well-kept'
lawns? Roll up the sidewalks at 5
p.m.? Sounds like the peace-time
army to me maybe we don't have a
real job to do, but at least we can keep
our boots shined.
Bullshit. West College Avenue has
character. More importantly, it's
Doesn't it make you wonder that
State College is thriving when the rest
of the country is suffering through a
Nuclear freeze too risky for now
I suppose being against the nuclear freeze movement
does not put me in the most popular of positions. After
all, the main basis behind the movement is to save the
world from a nuclear holocaust and not too many
people support those who are for the destruction of
mankind.
Well, there is a discrepancy here; simply because I
am against the nuclear freeze does not mean I am pro
death or anti-humanistic. I don't even think I am being
cynical, only cautious.
Actually I believe the freeze on nuclear weaponry is a
brilliant idea, if it could be 'implemented. But here is
where I am most leary : Could a nuclear freeze actually
be implemented and be verifiable?
Because this is a political issue, we must look at it
' from a political standpoint. Let's do a little role
playing.
Suppose you are Yuri Andropov. The United States
comes to you asking for a nuclear freeze. After some
thought you decide that with all the bad news floating
around about the Soviet Union's intervention in Af-
ghanistan, a move like this may put you in a more
' favorable light. Deciding that it is in your country's
best interest to do so, you agree to the freeze.
Several years pass, and suddenly you decide that this
nuclear freeze thing has gone far enough and you begin
a secret nuclear arms build-up. You have built up a
sizable stockpile of nuclear weapons when the United
States begins to realize that the treaty has been
violated. They yell and scream that you have violated
an international contract. You, as Mr. Andropov, just
sit back and smile and say, "Well, what are you going
to do to stop me? Send in your big brother?"
The fact is that a country will only abide by a treaty
Tra TOR 14 In'SIDOWS MIND
expressed on the editorial pages are Rot
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
sparate corporate institution from Penn
• State.
About the Collegian: The Daily Collegian and
The Weekly Collegian are published by Colle-
depression? The fact is, State College
thrives on an artificial economy.
Almost all the money in this town is
brought here by students, most of
whom come from other parts of the
country cities like Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh, Scranton and Allen
town. Cities that cannot afford to
keep their own industries running,
must less worry about keeping up
appearances —*whether it's their own
backyard, or that of some little tinsel
town in central PA.
To the editors of The Daily Colle
gian, I'd like to ask you two ques
tions: Who's paying your bills? And,
who's side are you on? To the rest of
you in State College, I'd like to ask,
who's running this town?
Raymond C. Young, State College
resident
April 18
Arrogant
"There is nothing earth shattering
abotit it," USG Vice President Lee
noLse
q.koot
The Daily Collegian
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gian Inc., an independent,-non-profit corpora
tion with a board of directors composed of
students, faculty and professionals. Stu
dents of The Pennsylvania State University
write and edit both papers and solicit adver
tising material for them. The Daily Collegian
is published Monday through Friday and
distributed at the University Park campus.
The Weekly Collegian is mailed to Common
wealth campus students, parents of stu
dents, alumni and other subscribers who
want to keep abreast of University news.
Facetti said. "We just thought we
would like to have a banquet." (Mov
in' On Funds Pull Through, April 19.)
"Let them eat cake!"
Antoinette.
Arrogance! Lee! Have you ever
heard that word before? I doubt it.
I don't have $9OO to my name and
you want to use that much for a
banquet to introduce the new sen
ators. Give me $9OO and you can all
come to my room. It is small enough
that you'll all know each other - real
well by the end of the night.
Movin' On, which benefits all stu
dents, was only given $750 of the $l,-
500 requested while you arrogantly
hold a personal party for $9OO. I think
that if you're using our money then
all the students should be invited.
Better yet, use that $9OO for Movin'
On and buddy-up with the new sen
ators on your own money.
"Let them eat cake." The last time
a person said that she was beheaded.
I don't think you deserve such good
treatment, Lee.
Quentin Davis, 3rd-film
April 19
as long as it is in its best interest. The government of
the United States has pressure from its constituency to
abide by the treaty, but clearly the Soviet Union does
not have this checking system. When it feels a treaty
has outlived its usefulness there is not much to stop the
Kremlin from revoking it.
The main question is, can we trust the Soviet Union?
Well, would you trust it? I suppose its track record
speaks for itself.
The issue here is fairly more complicated than I have
made it to be. But my simplification has a meaning. I
want to show that we must take off our rose-colored
glasses and look a little bit closer into the issue at hand.
To put a freeze on nuclear weapons involves more than
simply its implementation.
Many people have the problem of working out a
solution without ever venturing to think of the after
effects. With an issue as serious as this, we cannot
afford this oversight. We must look deeply into this
issue not only from one viewpoint. For if we do, the
total consequences will be great..
Just think of what our answer would be to Yuri
Andropov's retort. How would we stop them if we, as
the ever law-abiding United States, were caught far
behind in the arms race? All we could do is sit back and
kick ourselves for being so naive in the first place. And
in this issue, can we afford to be naive?
I will admit, the arms race has gone out of control
and is a menace to mankind. Unfortunately, a' treaty
based on trust between two adversaries is not the way '
to solve it. We have never trusted the Soviets before
and now seems an odd time to start. Our only alterna
tive must be to sit back down, roll up our sleeves and
begin thinking of a different approach to this problem.
The nuclear-freeze movement is a good place to start
in trying to end the nuclear arms race. However, it is
not a clear solution. While it may be forever in the best
interest of the United States to abide by the treaty, we
can not be absolutely sure it will always be that way for
the Soviets. .
Unfortunately, an absolute guarantee is what we
need. I am not willing to put the future of the human
race in the care of the Soviets. Are you?
Carol Frank is a 7th-term political science major and d
columnist for The Daily Collegian.
Thursday, April 21
~' ::~,
~~~~.
reader opinion
Helping hand
The Rec Parks Society is to be
(congratulated for the wonderful ex-
Perience they provided during the
Hand-In Hand Program.
Retaded citizens are often neglect
ed by' groups because of the•tremen
dous amount of time and work
required to plan such an even as
Hand-In Hand. Contacting all of the
agencies, acquiring medical records
of participants, finding donors for the
prizes and gifts, organizing the
games to offer a variety on a level
that the participants could enjoy are
just a few of the tasks that the Rec
Parks Society faced.
One of the most difficult tasks must
have been finding and organizing
volunteers to be "friends" to each of
the participants. The kindness and
patience I saw from the students,
faculty and townspeople who volun
teered is to be commended. It take a
special student to give up a Saturday
. • s: . .e. •
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The name says (pi . •. The price says Hills.
Famous. fashionable. Dickies® for the whole family.
All work and no play? noway! Dickies clothes are for fun.
For fashion. For fit. And priced low every day at Hills:
No need to wait for a sale. Ever.
Men's— in khaki, navy or green.
Shirt, sizes 14 1 h-17.
Pants, sizes 28-44.
Boys'— in khaki, navy or grey.
Pants, sizes 8-18 reg. & 8-16 slim.
State College: Hills Plaza - South Atherton St (Rt 322 E) & Branch Rd. Store Hours: 10-10 Monday-Saturday/12-5 Sunday
after mid-terms to volunteer to help
the less fortunate.
Many college students look at their
own circumstances and think their
problems are insurmountable; those
students .who helped in the Hand-In
Hand Program have shared a day
with citizens with truly difficult lives
and the lives of those students will be
enriched by that experience.
Congratulations again to the Rec
Parks Society for offering this experi
ence to the retarded citizens of Penn-
I I II G TO
MY ENT111[1514%41
LINE oF WORK.
0 1111 " - -
10.58
11.97
10.87 Girls'-- in khaki, green or blue.
Pants, sizes 7-14, reg. & slim.
Sylvania and for giving Penn State an
opportunity to share in the Hand-In
Hand Program.
Beth Alphin, Women's Fencing Coach
April 19
Don't rush
We would like to point out a discrep
ancy in the editorial opinion section of
the April 19 Daily Collegian.
In the editorial, "Fighting for the
Freeze," it is stated (in a quotation
by the president) that the Soviets
boast a "margin of superiority." We
agree with this statement since the
president and his advisers have di
rect access to the most recent data
and are in a position to know. The
article also states that "military
equality is the optimum solution to
world peace." Logic supports this
statement.
However, the conclusion that Con
gress must pass a nuclear freeze
resolution at this 'time does riot ap
pek rational.
To us, it seems that a nuclear
freeze would bind the United States in
a position where the Soviets have a
"margin of superiority." This would
be a state of military inequality
which is definitely not the optimum
solution to world peace. By simple
logic, the United States must either
produce more weapons or persuade
the Soviets to cut back.
We are in favor of a nuclear fiveze
providing there is a military, ,balance
between the Soviet Union and the
United States. If some people feel
that waiting for a military ,balance
would take too long, then vote for a
nuclear freeze after the Soviets have
agreed to cut back.
Ladies= in an assortment of colors.
Shorts, sizes 26-34. (not shown) 9.58
Pants, sizes 26-32. (not shown) 11.97
Skirt, sizes 26-34. 11.38
Perhaps if we hadn't been so quick
with a nuclear freeze resolution, the
president would not have had to rush
with the MX plan (it must be ap
proved before the nuclear freeze),
.and a better basing system could
have been worked out.
•We don't claim to know all the
answers, but rushing headlong into a
nuclear freeze is as stupid as rushing
the MX missile system.
John Reister, 3rd-aerospace engi
neering
George Chappel, 3rd-aerospace engi
neering
Michael Gehringer, 3rd-electrical en
gineering
•
April 20
Events ignored
Recognizing that The Daily Colle
gian is the voice of the student body at
Penn State, we were very pleased to
see a full week of coverage devoted to
the minority issue at the University.
However, we are disillusioned that
the Collegian sees fit to exercise a
double standard and ignore the issues
pertinent to
,other minorities, specif
ically, the Jewish community.
We are referring to the fact that
when the board of editors was given
one month's notice about the upcom
ing Passover holiday, as well as this
past week's Hillel Hblocaust memori
al events, they chose to ignore cover
age, of both issues.
If the Collegian is attempting to act
as a champion of the minorities at
Penn State, it should find a way to do
so without exercising what we consid
er its own form of discrimination.
The Hillel Student Board
April 20
•Il
' 4 44 igkostig-
The Daily Collegian Thursday, April 21, 1983-11
Commendation
Mr. Jacoby, Mr. Stausser, I don't
understand what either of you is
trying to accomplish by writing your
letter about the USG banquet.
Your sarcasm has run dry and has
no merit. What is wrong with honor
ing the representatives who have
worked hard, sacrificing their time
and studies to improve student life?
That is the main reason for banquet,
not the reason that you quoted (to get
into a relaked atmosphere with in
coming senators).
Convince me why I shouldn't sup
port a bill to honor the senators whom
I have seen devote selfless effort
toward projects to benefit the stu
dents.
I commend Bill Kraftsow for estab
lishing the Consumer Protection
Committee that has already unsur
faced fraudulent practices in two
local businesses. I commend Rita
Chuang and Dan Kweder, along with
ARHS chairperson Jean Towers, for
the Book Co-op's doubling in student
book sales, and for the organization
and advertisement that made this
non-profit, student service worth
while.
I commend Darryl Daisey for his
persistent negotiations in extending
and maintaining the current Campus
Loop hours. These are only a few
examples of why USG deserves to be
honored on Monday night, but I guar
antee that each one would work just
as hard whether rewarded or not.
Open you eyes, boys, and lighten up
on the criticism until you know what's
going on. Your opinion is negative,
closed-minded and pathetically shal
low:
Tracy Haack, USG East Halls sen
ator April 20
11.38