opinions
editorial opinion
The state nuclear freeze
The nuclear power industry received both
a go-ahead and a halt from the U.S. Su
preme Court last week.
Much to the disappointment of some state
residents, the Supreme Court ruled last
week that federal law does not mandate
possible psychological damage as a reason
for not re-opening Unit 1, the undamaged
reactor at Three Mile Island. TMI has been
shut down since the Unit 2 reactor was
damaged March 28,1979.
The court correctly assessed that psycho
logical effects would be impossible to mea
sure accurately. And the court’s ruling was
justified as the law was written.
But the area’s residents should not be
dismayed just yet the environmental
conditions that federal law does address
still must be met and it may be some time
before the plant is re-opened. The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission does not intend to
re-open the plant until a $1 billion cleanup is
completed
The fates of hundreds of people and of the
whole nuclear power industry depend on the
NRC’s decision. The mistakes that led to the
TMI shutdown must not recur.
Also, Gov. Dick Thornburgh expressed
opposition at re-opening Unit 1 until all
health, safety and environmental concerns
have been resolved. He also strongly sup
ports developing plans for cleanup for the
damaged reactor at Unit 2.
Yet despite the governor’s “hold” position
reader opinion
Scapegoat?
Come on Daily Collegian, do you really
think Dr. Carr’s resignation was front page
material? What sort of sensationalist report
ing tactics did you expect to be effective in
beating the dead horse of last year, namely
the University Choir controversy.
This may come as a surprise, but it was not
a crisis which rocked the entire music depart
ment. Why finish an already poor article with
a topic that had been resolved four terms
earlier?
It appears as though the negative publicity
is putting Dr. Carr in the category of the
Wicked Witch of the North. Maybe her cause
for resignation was not administrative in
nature, but certainly some of the shortcom
ings of the School of Music stem from a source
a bit higher in the chain of command.
After all, it was not Dr. Carr who caused the
wave of dissension in denying the tenure of a
music education teacher/adviser. She ,also
wasn’t the administrator who, when ques
tioned by students, supported the decision
with fallacies. She has never, to my knowl
edge, discouraged anyone from pursuing a
career in music or attending Penn State,
whereas another figurehead suggested that if
there were persons present who were unsatis
fied with the way decisions were being made,
then maybe this wasn’t the place for them.
We, the music students, are at a disadvan
tage. By overall ratios we have too many
teachers for too few students BUT not enough
to cover every area effectively. You may be
able to teach a math or science class to 200
students simultaneously, but it’s practically
and aesthetically impossible to give instru
mental lessons in the same manner. What do
you listen to? Statistics? Reality?
I’m sorry, Miss Rudolph, if you need an
earthshaking story please don’t use Dr. Carr
Committee assists student consumers
By Deborah Kane, director
USG department of communica'
tions
The Undergraduate'Student Gov
ernment Senate Consumer Protec
tion Committee, established on
Nov. 1,1982, provides various serv
ices for student consumers.
The committee educates stu
dents on where or how to pursue a
complaint that has not been satis
factorily settled. At Spring Term
registration the committee distrib
uted a “Consumer Protection Kit”
and information from the Better
Business Bureau to increase the
students’ awareness of their con
sumer rights and the way to deter
mine reputable businesses.
forum
In addition, committee members
mediate between business and the
consumer, conduct preliminary in
vestigations and if needed, assist in
filing a complaint with the correct
authority.
In the past, the committee has
made several investigations that
on TMI, the authority and jurisdiction for
dealing with the' question lies outside his
official capacity and with a Nuclear Regula
tory Commission monopoly.
The governor should find some consola
tion in a related decision the court reached
last week. The court ruled that states may
ban construction of new nuclear power
plants until the federal government devel
ops a safe radioactive waste disposal meth
od.
Yet it’s not enough to allow states to ban
new plants; it should be done by region
because the effects will be felt by an area
larger than a state boundary. Nuclear waste
does not stop at an imaginary boundary
line.
However, the effects of the court’s ruling
may only be cosmetic.
That’s why Thornburgh must' continually
voice opposition to the regeneration of TMI.
And he should continue to do so until all
problems have been resolved satisfactorily.
As the state’s official political leader, he
must continually fight to safeguard the
health of state citizens and the environment
even in the face of seemingly insurmoun
table commission monopolies and court
rulings.
Because by continuing to oppose any re
opening plans, Thornburgh also continues to
safeguard the quality of life for citizens of
Pennsylvania, and possibly, for citizens of
the nation.
or the music department as your scapegoat.
We have enough difficulties being caught in a
Catch-22. The music programs will really
shape up with the enrollment of .more stu
dents, but there won’t be as many applicants
until the program is perfected. As far as the
curriculum is considered, Penn State’s School
of Music is one of the best there is without a
conservatory atmosphere. Too bad the atti
tudes can’t reflect this.
Oh, and by the way, contrary to popular
believe, I am not the unidentified music
major of Friday’s article. Did anyone who
asked really think I’d wimp out on my name?
Edie Smith, 6th-music education
April 25
Invitation declined
I am the College of Earth and Mineral
Sciences Student Council vice president and a
USG Academic Assembly member represent
ing the college.
Being a member of the assembly, I re
ceived an invitation to the USG awards ban
quet that has come under a lot of attack
recently.
Much of the ill sentiment, stems from the
fact that the USG Senate allocated $9OO to the
banquet but only $750 of the original $1,500
requested by Movin’ On. Many students view
this as being a selfish move on USG’s part.
In my personal role, I feel that there is
nothing wrong with having an awards ban
quet. Can anyone deny that someone who
sacrifices a lot of time for the benefit of others
should be commended? It is common practice
in major organizations to honor those who
have provided a service voluntarily and to
award those who have done a superior job.
Concerning Movin’ On, I was distraught by
have led to further action. The
committee reported to the Consum
er Protection Bureau in Harris
burg in October 1982 that Mace
Electronics’s advertising practices
were questionable.
The company used the term “Na
tionally Advertised Values,” that
was meant to represent manufac
turer’s suggested retail prices.
Subsequently, the Bureau subpoe
naed the company which admitted
making some advertising errors.
Resulting from this action was the
voluntary removal by Mace of the
term “Nationally Advertised Va
lues” from future advertisements.
Next the committee researched
the National Photo Developing
Service of State College after re
ceiving several complaints from
students.
The students were given 100 free
rolls of film and were required to
pay an enrollment fee (money back
guarantee) before they were allow
ed to use the service. The com
plaints were filed when the
students dissatisfied with the qual
ity of their prints were unable to
receive a refund, of their enroll
ment fees. They could, however,
receive a refund for each individu
al development.
the attack on USG for allocating only one-half
of the requested sum. As ARHS, not USG, is
sponsoring the event, USG was approached
and asked for a gift of $1,500. One can’t
overlook the fact that USG did present a $750
gift to Movin' On.
It’s a question of “is the cup half full or half
empty?” USG did not pour half of the cup out
and into the banquet; they received an empty
cup and filled it halfway
Personally, I wish they hadn’t given any —I
disagree with subsidizing what has histori
cally become a two-day party complete with
with alcohol and drugs on the HUB lawn. I
do not condone any event which under any
guise (including philantropies) promotes ille
gal activities.
Not being a member of the USG Senate, I
don’t know all of the intricacies of the pro
ceedings, however I hope the funds were
earmarked for activities such as clean-up,
safety, security and/or University regula
tions enforcement. In this capacity the funds
are being used for the students’ benefit and
best intersts.
On the other hand, being a student rep
resentative, I have an obligation to them to
consider. In this role, I must say that the
senate was not wrong in giving only $750
mainly for the reasons cited above.
Yes, the student representatives should
listen and heed the students’ requests, but at
time the students’ request may not necessari
ly be in their best interests. Certinly everyone
loves to party including myself —but doing
it illegally (be it breaking University regula
tions, state liquor or drug laws) shouldn’t be
promoted by the student leaders.
Concerning the banquet, as I have stated, I
feel it is not wrong, but a lot of students have
expressed their disapproval, and being a
representative of the students, I feel I should
convey their sentiments.
At the same time, Robert Plack
ey, an adviser at State College
Area High School, reported theft by
deception to the State College Po-'
lice.
After a report in The Daily Colle
gian the committee contacted
Plackey who told them of similar
problems that had occurred at the
high s'chool. Mr. Plackey said that
the senior class had been involved
in a sales scheme with Mr. Ray
bold, the owner of the service.
The students sold coupon books
which entitled the buyers to free
rolls of film and a chance to partici
pate in the service. Mr. Raybold
told the students they must pur
chase the books from him prior to
receiving them and were promised
refunds for unsold books.
The committee and Mr. Plackey
at this point combined their efforts
to resolve this situation. A verbal
agreement was made between
Plackey and Raybold regarding
repayments for the losses to the
students and the high school.
In addition, Mr. Raybold has left
town and has re-established his
service at Morgantown, West Va.
The committee has contacted and
informed West University of Ray
bold’s earlier practices, and the
university is looking into the mat
ter; however, no action has been*
A third investigation occurred on
April 7 after a three day sale was
held by Audio-Video Liquidators at
the Nittany Lion Inn.
The committee uncovered some
interesting facts and raised several
questions. It was found that a large
proportion of the advertised items
were not available and that many
of the unavailable items were too
good-to-be-true offers, (i.e., the
Wilson Legacy Racquets adver
tised as “ash and maple construc
tion” were actually made of
fiberglass with an ash and maple
lamination.)
Also uncovered was an unusual
policy where numerous electronic
items were seen with welded-off
serial numbers. University Police
Services were told that Audio-Visu
al, Liquidators management
welded off the numbers because
the items were purchased at an
auction and thus the original war
ranties could no longer be in effect.
The committee has also deter
mined that such a policy allows for
the chance that stolen items may
be sold. The committee subse
quently filed complaints with the
AffMS QONreOl.
AND
DtSAkfZM, AM6UT
Therefore, in the name of fair representa
tion, I have decided to decline my invitation to
the awards banquet as a sign of student
disapproval of USG’s recent actions.
Philip Candreva, Bth-mineral economics
April 25
Check facts
We were disappointed in but unfortu
nately not surprised at the letter written by
Ken Bartuska and Paul Walsh concerning the
highly publicized Undergraduate Student
Government banquet. The letter questions
USG’s decision to spend $9OO for an awards
banquet.
Their letter, like all the rest of the criticism
we’ve read and heard, implies that USG is
taking public money from Movin’ On which
benefits all students and using it for a
private party.
In reality, they are not using public funds
for a private party; they are using private
funds for a public party. The money for both
events is coming out of USG’s unrestricted
funds it’s money they raised themselves,
not University money. i
Technically, USG doesn’t have to give that
money to any organization. It’s theirs to do
whatever they want with. They have chosen
to give most of it student organizations for
programs to benefit the University commu
nity.
Now they have chosen to use a small portion
to benefit themselves. If Mr. Bartuska and
Mr. Walsh think that the full $1,500 should go
toward Movin’. On, let them supply the bal
ance from their private (unrestricted) funds.
The USG officers and senators deserve this
banquet for the work they try to do. They do
the best they can, considering the lack of
Consumer Protection Bureau. The
committee is awaiting further ac
tion.
These are only a few problems
regarding consumers and busi
nesses. Prevention of future prob
lems similar to these is extremely
important. Consumers need to be
come more aware and informed of
their rights and how to proceed to
obtain redress when their rights
have been ignored.
The committee plans to assist
student consumers by listening to
their complaints and questions and
to help deal with each appropriate
ly-
In items of immediate action, a
panel discussion will be presented'
at 8 p.m. on April 28 in the HUB
Main Lounge. Representatives
from the Better Business Bureau,
the State College Chamber of Com
merce and the Consumer Protec
tion Bureau of Harrisburg will be
present.
Panelists will discuss issues of
student concerns such as apart
ment leases and ways to deal more
effectively with consumer prob
lems.
Become an educated consumer
attend this event.
. 8:!
The Daily Collegian ■
Wednesday, April 27
student support for the organization. Bartus
ka and Walsh’s letter opened up with the
statement “We, as students, find it hard to
believe that the USG is our representative
body.” We have only one question for them:
Are they among the embarassingly small
minority of 19 percent of the students who
cared enough to vote for their representatives
in the last USG election? If not, they have no
right to criticize. In any case, it is usually a
good idea to check the facts before passing
judgment.
Annemarie McDonald, 9th-broadcast journa
lism <
Bill Mountz, lOth-math and computer science
April 26
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126 Carnegie.
daily Collegian
Wednesday, April 27,1983
©1983 Collegian Inc.
Suzanne M. Cassidy
Judith Smith
Editor Business Manager
The Daily Collegian’s editorial opin
ion is determined by its Board of
Opinion, with the editor holding
final responsibility. Opinions ex
pressed on the editorial pages are
not necessarily those of The Daily
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reader opinion
Separatist
I would, like to agree wholeheartedly with
Tony Pityk’s letter of April 15. Because of
some opportunistic political posturing in the
state Legislature, there is now a mad scram
ble here at the University to demonstrate the
administration’s devotion to minority recruit
ment.
Minority recruitment per se should. not
exist. It is symptomatic of . the ill-advised
national push for affirmative action. If the
University, as a vanguard of the future,
blindly follows the idea of special assistance
or attention to just one segment of the student
body, it merely contributes to the division of
society.
With the Educational Opportunity Program
and other programs, the University is totally
open to any member of society, regardless of
race. We do not need, in an already seg
mented world, further separation such as is
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represented by a minority cultural center,
black awareness studies oir special recruit
ment programs.
Lowered academic standards or undue
attention to one minority will only cause
resentment 'and further antagonism in the
general student population, despite the best of
intentions. Minorities are not really helped by
such actions.
The present paranoia brings to mind a
magazine that was published by one of the big
city Sunday newspapers a few years back.
Called Tuesday, it was a magazine with
articles written by blacks, about blacks and
for blacks. The ads featured black men smok
ing Salems, black women cooking with Pam
and black families brushing with Crest.
There wasn’t an Occidental or Oriental face
to be found. In my opinion, that kind of
unnatural separatism is the worst kind of
segregation. Ideally, American stands for
integration, the amalgam of cultures, not
splinter culturization.
We are all Americans, not Irish (as a St.
Patrick’s Day Daily Collegian editorial point
ed out), not German, not Chinese, not African
but American.
The late British historian Arnold Toynbee
called nationalism “the most divisive force
known to mankind.” Cultural separatism,
especially in the melting pot of American, is
similar and may be just as divisive.
I urge the administration to take the long
view.
Larry R. Puterbaugh, 2nd-division of under
graduate studies
April 17 '
Off key
All right, I’ve had enough. Kathy Tobin’s
letter only emphasized bigotry that we blacks
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NNER PIKE, STATE COLLEGE •
have been trying to overcome. In her opin
ionated letter, the term token black was
referred to occasionally.
What makes her think blacks must be
tokens in order to be accepted within the lily
white organizations? I was accepted to this
University because of my academic creden
tials, NOT beause of my color. How dare you
imply that the small percentage of blacks that
are here are tokens?
You also mentioned that “all” the blacks
join in with the Kappas or Deltas. If you had
done sufficient research, you would have
discovered that there are four other black
Greek organizations at Penn State and that
many blacks either choose among the six or
remain independent.
We are not a mass of groupies who flock to
two Greek organizations. We also do not state
that we’d accept only black brothers or sis
ters as you unjustly insinuated.
Fine and dandy, you and your roommate
You can own a
83 Chevetle
F>er month
The Daily Collegian Wednesday, April 27, 1983—9
THERE IS NO
ENGINEERING
SHORTAGE!!!
The phony shortage is the self-serving invention of
educators (to keep classrooms filled) and corporate
employers, who seek only to cut costs.
In recent months engineers have been laid off at T. 1.,
Xerox, GTE, Raytheon, Lockheed and the like. You are
not being taught that present day engineering careers end
in about 15-20 years rather than the expected normal of 40
years. Does your family physician give up his practice to
“go into management?”
The Committee of Concerned EE’s, Box 19,
Massapequa Park, NY 11762 suggest that you think
about this, and spread the word.
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(whom I assume is black) "get along fine.”
But you are only two out of thousands of
racially mixed roommates.
There are special black organizations on
campus for the sake of making the black
aware that he/she is not alone. Most .of us
come fom cities where the black population is
a much higher percentage than that of State
College. These “special places” succeed in
lessening the “shock culture” upon arriving
in Happy Valley.
According to the letter, “Penn State has
created an unreal life for our black students
that will disappear the day they graduate.”
On the contrary, one of Penn State’s offenses,
narrow-mindedness, is real and will follow us
for the rest of our lives during and after
college life.
Gina Masterson, Gth-business administration
April 2G
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