opinions editorial opinion If this is spring, then enjoy 'Tis spring, and a student's thoughts turn to . . baseball. Baseball? Yes folks, the nation's favorite pastime, the sport as American as hot dogs and apple pie, is once again in season. Both the National and American Leagues had opening games yesterday, and, without a doubt, more than a few students will spend the next few months glued to television sets cheering on their favorite teams. And perhaps, students will take some time out of studying to play an inning or two themselves. But spring in State College is not limited to baseball games. (Yes folks, in spite of last week's blizzard, it is spring.) A month of seasonal rituals begins this Saturday, starting with the ultimate of marathons the Phi Psi 500. Drinkers and runners in the world: unite! Greek Week follows the marathon on April 9-15. Fraternities, sororities and inde pendents alike will have opportunities to participate in skits, games and a carnival throughout the week. This year's Greek Week also features the debut of the ultimate Penn State game "The Penn Stater Game," where contestants will have to perform several activities that are unique to Penn State students. April 28 is the scheduled day for Movin' ■ pages are not necessarily those of The Daily Collegian, 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. Tuesday, April 3, 1984 ©1984 Collegian Inc. - Alecia Swasy 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 reader opinion in conclusion . . . And As students here at Penn State, it is nice to have a mouthpiece (The Daily Collegian) to express our ideas and concerns. The "Reader Opinion" section of the paper permits us this privilege. As of now, I'm not sure if I'm ecstatic with the editing process that is being done by the editors of our letters. The Collegian reserves the right to edit the length of letters as it deems necessary. As Journalism majors you, ( the editors), should (I hope) realize that the conclusion is the second most important part of any written piece. The `final paragraph may be a summation, a final jab, or just a thought that the writer wishes other people to ponder. I understand that there are space limitations, but how :can you justify the deletion of any part, especially the conclusion, of a written work? Since we provide our telephone numbers, could you not call and ask us if we ;want you to hold our letters or if we mind the deletions? It may be a little more work, but is this not "our" paper and our written thoughts? ` Harold Hoover, sophomore-recreation and parks March 26 ;Dead freedoms This letter concerns the prayer amendment that was :defeated in the Senate last week and the value of the (opinion of the American people. Polls showed that the ',majority, up to 80 percent of the people, favored this s amendment. Here are a couple of thoughts on this: "If 80 percent of the American people want this, then 80 'percent of the American people are wrong! And it's our 'job to tell them that." Senator Lowell Weicker "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not 'have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have The fundamental issues on the merits of a liberal education I've always found it very amusing to listen in on conversations where an engineer or a scientist is trying to tell a liberal arts student how impractical, or even worthless his education is by comparison. Now admittedly, I major in political sci ence, but I have never felt a need to defend my curriculum to maintain my self-esteem. , 4 * , 5 .5 , ,iv,>,.." * .'",, 7so .' ' • . - ;-,foo * 7•-; /. ~ . I simply attributed such debates to an ongoing tribal ritual between the disci plines, and never really took them all that seriously. However, recent events in my life have compelled me to speak out and take a stand on the fundamental issue of the merit of a liberal education. At the same time, and Susan M. Melle Business Manager a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln The question to be asked is if this freedom is beginning to die. Patrick Bayer, senior-history March 27 Living in the past Editor's 'Note: This letter is being reprinted because a typographical error in the letter as it originally appeared may have lead some readers to misconstrue the original meaning. On page 20 of the March 29 The Daily Collegian, an NBC reporter was quoted as saying that television news con veys impressions not facts. Very true, and in the case of this reporter's specialty the wrong impressions. Where has Robert Bazell, NBC's science reporter, been for 40 years? Obviously not reporting science. His attitude and his conceptions towards science would be laughable on a street corner or in a bar, but the fact that he reports science to millions of people makes him rather dangerous. First he says that leaving out information and condens ing a news story into a one-minute-30-second TV news piece has him wondering whether the story will make sense or not. Then he says that most all scientific theories can be condensed into a one-minute-30-second story and scientists should be critized for not being able to do so. A strange double standard in his world of TV news. Later he states that people believe that science can perform miracles and that scientist have all the answers. He should know that scientists are in business to find answers. The average scientist knows the answers. Ba zell's business should be to clear up these misconceptions that he perpetuates. much to the chagrin of some of my engi neering acquaintances, I propose to point out some of the deficiencies of a so-called "practical" education that are often over looked. I have found that while some engineers really do seem to derive some psychic benefit from solving differential equations and from factoring their student I.D. num ber when they have some spare time, most of them are in it for the money. Generally, they confess total abhorrence insofar as their classes are concerned, but are quick to point out that their chief motivation stems from the material rewards that are subse quent to graduation. Liberal arts majors, on the other hand, are not tainted by the specter of lucrative starting salaries. We are resigned to either enlightened poverty or graduate school. Therefore, I think one can surmise that liberal arts students, as a rule, have far more character than their materialistic counterparts in the College of Engineering. One thing I find particularly revolting is the misconception on the part of some engineers that liberal arts majors are some how mentally deficient. We are chastised by On, an 11-hour concert on the HUB lawn featuring seven bands. Traditionally a two-day event, Movin' On was changed to a one-day program this year because of a relatively early exam period, a late Easter, and conflicts with other spring activites. Even Penn State football makes an ap pearance in the spring, as Nittany Lions play against Nittany Lions in the annual Blue and White Game on April 28 in Beaver Stadium. And winding up the month is the Sy Barash Regatta, scheduled for April 29 at Bald Eagle State Park. Come rain or shine, the annual event will feature canoe races, a tug-of-war, and three bands. Perhaps the most popular spring activ ities are those organized on a slightly small er scale: impromptu Frisbee matches, picnics, intramural sports. Once the weather breaks and the ground thaws, the scent of coconut oil will linger in the air. As any University student can tell you, suntanning (and , its related activity scoping) is a serious business in Happy Valley. Yes, spring has sprung in State College, with a multitude of activities for students to choose from. Baseball anyone? Board of Managers Accounting Department Manager: Mary T. McCaffrey; Office Manager: Kathy Connolly; SaleS Manager: Merri-Kay Smoluk; Assistant. Sales Man ager: Michael Meyers; Layout Coordinator: Susan Kiser; Marketing Manager: James F. Emmerling; National Ad Manager: 'Marianne Smulski; Assistant National Ad Manager: Laura Helbling. arrogant number-crunchers brandishing theit T-squares to "get a real major." Don't mistake me I'm not condemning their arrogance. I have and still do enthu siastaclly endorse an arrogant lifestyle. I do take exception, though, to their notorious propensity to belittle those of us in the College of Liberal Arts as mental light weights. Engineers, generally, seem to feel that the mere title "engineer" confers upon them some degree of distinction, something akin to academic knighthood. If engineers are indeed under the illusion that there is a measure of status in a name, they could benefit from a good reading of Shake speare: "What's in a name? A rose by any other name still smells as sweet." Or, if I may paraphrase the metaphor, an idiot by any other name is still, in the final analysis, an idiot. At this point, I must call attention to the fact that I'm not against enginnering as a discipline. It is respectable, necessary, and, of course, an engineering degree carries with it a high degree of utility. I am at odds, however, with the view frequently express ed by engineers that all other majors are not THE LIFE OF GARY HART An unauthorized biography Later, bored with an awkward last name, he changes it ... THE LIFE - OF FRITZ MONDALE The shocking Truth • . But a pattern of behavior emerges Bazell claims that scientists play on people's ignorance for funding. He should take note of• his own ignorance. Almost all of scientific funding is conducted through a critical board of peers knowledgeable of the topic. If you try to play on their ignorance, they'll pick it up right away and won't give you a dime. Lastly, his statement that there hasn't been a scientific revolution since Darwin demostrates either extreme igno rance or complete cultural blindness. His own medium of instantaneous visual communication didn't exist 40 years ago. I'll bet anyone would call that a revolution. Frank Cheng, graduate-chemistry March 29 Misleading The Penn State community is being misled by the Penn State Association for Palestine's HUB display case. The display quotes Israel Shahak, an Israeli educator and Chairperson of Israel's League for Human and Civil Rights, about supposed discrimination against Arab Pal estinians who display emblems or words expressing support for Palestinian nationhood. In reality, the crimes deal with expresSions of support for the type of "Palestine" envisioned by the Palestine Liberation Organization; one which is viable only after the annihilation of the State of Israel. Of course, no sovereign, democratic nation can accept elements calling for its extinction, and so Israel has a right to its action. Furthermore, Israel does not discriminate against its Arab citizens. They have equal voting rights, hold seats in Israel's Knesset, can choose from about 700 educational institutions, belong to the Israel Labor Federation, and enjoy a standard of living unparallelled in any Arab nation. Sometime in the 19305, no one is sure when, Gary Hartpence is born in Kansas ... •,ICH EIN . , k'; k • • • • • Fritz Mondale is born. It is said his mother was in labor for days, thus contributing to his passion for the AFL-CIO _I KNOW... I ALSO PROMISECITO V 0 ASH. MILK TIC CLEAN MV RoctA, 4 s: VA. FEED "AIS MSG. ntle I. to • ......... AN:vZll$•• respectable, unnecessary, and worthless. There are many highly beneficial aspects of a liberal education that tend to be skirted by those who proliferate the misconception discussed' above. A liberal education is a highly intellectual exercise. Students ex pand their cognition of the world, and learn to reason about it and think in critical terms. With all due respect to the more quantita tively-oriented disciplines, I would say that an education in engineering is not very enriching in intellectual terms. Only in rare cases is an individual's creativity called into play in such a curriculum. Unfortunately, the drudgery of the clas swork stifles, if anything, the development of one's realm of knowledge. In a very real sense, an education in engineering is intrin sically quite parochial one's expertise is confined to a very small cross-section of human activity. What I think best sums up this whole debate is that it is fundamentally irrelevent. Life deals us each a hand of cards and we are I mpelled to play them in what we each dee to be an optimal manner. We do what He studies hard, becomes a lawyer, manages George McGovern's campaign, and runs for the Senate ... Like Gary Hart, Fritz also does impersonations It is noteworthy that democracy is a prerequisite for allowing a League of Human Civil Rights to admonish the Government, and such an institution exists nowhere else in the Middle East. The PSAP should stop lamenting, and instead realize, like former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, that pe - ace can come only through recognition of Israel's right to Martin A. Coren, junior-English April 2 Bacchus' cup Enthusiasm and super planning by the brothers of Phi Mu Delta paid off in a big way this past weekend. The State College Food Bank volunteers were astounded at the quantity of food collected in a two-day marathon which included efforts by many fraternities and sororities. The food drive was conducted as a competition and included collections made form shoppers and managers at local super markets. Kidnapped celebrities were ransomed with food by the pound, a radio station broadcast the event, and hundreds of people shared in the fun. The volume of food given out by the Food Bank on Friday had been so heavy that our shelves were depleted. The miracle of restocking supplies occurred at the precise moment of our need. Bacchus' cup was never empty. For the Food Bank I must thank all who participated in this venture. We compliment the organizers, especially Sam McClain and the brothers of Phi Mu Delta for such an original idea which proved so successful. We continue to function at the Food Bank as long as the community supports us. Well done! Hazel M. Patton, treasurer for the Food Bank Committee March 28 The Daily Collegian Tuesday, April 3, 1984 He is a bright, but unconventional student T et. T tit 1. JUST FSNG ANY MMI AMP Ala Fritz is an active child and enjoys games with his little friends ... 10410t67 ft.t. BED SI4OP SIEWPRD-1014141 VOuff- NEGOTWOR, YOU CON RANI each of us does best I think most liberal arts students recog nize their debt to engineers. We drive cars, we live in structures of some sort, we cross bridges, we utilize computers. It's a fairly established fact that we have benefitted from the bounty of technology brought forth in recent years by the tenacity and skill of people in engineering and scientific fields. I'm concerned, however, that we are not met halfway. Engineers seem to feel that we are societal free-loaders, and they don't acknowledge' the contributions that liberal arts people have made. Art, music, govern ment, journalism, business all are re spectable human enterprises. I think we are willing to concede that learning takes place in Hammond Building and Fenske Lab. It would be nice to have some acknowledgement or simply recogni tion that learning also takes place in Bur rowes and Sparks. It does. • David Klingler is a senior majoring in political science and a columnist for The Daily Collegian. His column appears on alternate Tuesdays. • problem plagues him to this very While forgetting HHH lost to JFK in 1960 . . . 1:!I opinions Responsibilities - Why did Iry live alone, Michael Newnam? Not "because his wife had taken their daughter and moved out about 15 years ago." (The Daily Collegian, March 26.) Rather, Iry .did not take responsibility for himself and his many needs. 'lt is not a wife's responsibility to stay with her man, so to speak, and assure him companionship and happiness. No 'one can do that for another person. • You are right in that you certainly "don't know why his wife left him." Since this tale has been told to you by Irv, apparently Iry didn't know why she left either. You both have used the assumption that the presence of material provisions and the lack of "mistreatment" (however you are defining that) is more than enough in this life to satisfy any woman. Yes, she "left just the same ; " and until you know her story and reasons why, it is not for you to insinuate. that she is solely to blame for "abandoning" her husband to a life alone. Other indications of your bigotry concerning women include your statements of: "If my dad would see a less than-attractive woman, he's say 'There you go man, there's one for you. You need an ugly woman to take care of you now that you're getting old';" "It (the sexist joking) was just light humor;" ". . .he wanted a younger woman to restore lost youth." Is' your father the saint who replaced the uncaring, ungrateful trollop who rejected her own husband? That's what you imply. Will Irv's sister (this second evil woman) ever be forgiven for overlooking Iry on her Christmas card list? Why are you feeling bitter, Michael? Are you afraid that you will someday rely on your wife for companionship, instead of turning to yourself, and that she won't be there, for whatever reasons, when you die? Whitney J. Henry,-graduate March 26 Low bathroom mirrors In response to Gary Talbot's article on tall people's problems, which was seen recently in The Daily Collegian, I say, "good show." I am five-foot seventeen inches as well and know exactly where he's coming from. (I started complaining about low bathroom mirrors in junior high. How about you Gary?) With the exception of family and friends, who are allowed many liberties, there is one thing that people tend to do which really gets me sometimes. That is, some cePlte:;oice9.l The Brothers of Al,ll Proudly Announce Their New Initiates Russ Becker Dan Cobk Brian Dowling Dan Glammer Kelly Greenwalt BJ Herbert Bea Labrum Congratulationi and Welcome to Our Brotherhood t e,l John McAleer Diana Nigro Jennifer Painter Donna Powell Renee Ratay Jim Steele • Allison Vanover people have the gaul and absurdity to freely and without conscience point out a particular physical attribute of another person. (Note this statement is general.) I know I'm tall! Why do people insist on continually reproving the old adage, "if you can't be seen, then be heard," on my account? (I guess that makes me the tall silent type, which, by the way, is true.) I recognize my height problem since I buy my own clothes and am forced to purchase an automobile built anytime before 1976. I'm lucky I even have a interview suit. Little twerps can walk into Murphy's at any given time and buy a fantastic three-piece suit for peanuts, the equivalent of which I must buy through mail order from some freakshow outfitter. And at a king's ransom I might add. It's like getting an unspecified option on an auto mobile; you must wait and pay. (But really now, aren't clothes a necessity rather than a luxury?) It can be seen, along with Gary's arguements, that "big guys" don't need added abuse from half-pints with obvious hormone deficiences (oops, sorry). I don't understand people's insensitivity. (Behind my back I give a damnm, but to my face!) I don't ask a pregnant woman if she knows who the father is, a Clearasil user how the mayo naise business is going, an overweight person if his shoes match, a bed wetter if surf's up, or a midget about the meteorological conditions "down there." My God, I wouldn't even think of being so atrocious and cruel. I was brought up better than that. (How many big deal Monday morning quarterbacks would dare point out a wrong decision, or whatever, to Joepa's face?) What's worse than being tall is being half blind simulta neously. (i.e. being forced to sit near or at the front of the class.) You can imagine the abuse that has to be dealt with then. I have poor eyesight (my hindsight isn't even 20-20) and usually create an obstruction in most of my classes. Tough! I usually and jokingly suggest to protestors to grow up (in more ways than one). When I get bummed out about my little problems (no pun intended), I tell myself that it is important that I am able to joke about them and take related remarks in stride, both of which are important skills to possess these days. I go on to tell myself that, in this regard, I am gifted, if not superior. There are too many serious problems facing us in this world to worry about trivialities, for me in all respects, . . .it has to. Gordon Goebel, senior-mechanical engineering March 22 ; ._4) HEALTH EXPO 'B4 Some of the programs ( included are: Aerobics, Nutrition Info, Car Crash L . - 1 - Simulation, and PCEP and much, much more! ° April 10 &11 Presented by: USG in 10AIVI-SPM . cooperation with Ritenour 0288 HUB Fishbowl Health Center You are invited to a free lecture: "What Christian Science Teaches About Intelligence''? by Jean Tainsh, C.S.B. on Tues., April 3, at 7:30 pm in the HUB Reading Room sponsored by the Christian Science Organization at Penn State 'Expecting' an Editor's Note: This forum was originally submitted for last Thursday's op-ed page on international teaching assistants. By THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COUNCIL It appears to be the concensus among the undergrad uate student population that when assigned a foreign Teaching Assistant (TA), one can expect to receive inferior quality instruction. Whether the image of an inferior instructor is justified is subject to debate, but there definitely is a "problem" regarding foreign TAs, otherwise the student body would not be complaining and the administration becoming increasingly con cerned. Our contribution has the objective of clarifying the issues as a basis for determining the appropriate corrective measures. First, it is necessary to distinguish between two groups of foreign.TAs the first being those who do not have adequate command of spoken English and are therefore unable to engage in clear verbal communica tion. This group undoubtedly includes potentially good instructors who are hampered by a language problem. The second group consists of those TAs that possess adequate mastery of English and are able to commu nicate clearly and -effectively. Again, this group un doubtedly contains excellent as well as poor instructors. It is our view that undergraduates by lumping both groups together fail to distinguish be tween poor instruction and communication problems, even though the two are not entirely mutually exclu sive, since a TA with a communication problem inevi tably appears to be a poor instructor. The distinction is necessary because the corrective measures are nec essarily different. For the first group, we think both the TA and his students are victims of "bad policy" or more correctly the non-implementation and enforcement of Senate policy. A TA who is unable to speak English clearly forum The Daily Collegian Tuesday, April 3, 1984-7 inferior education should never be asked to teach. The experience is likely to be a frustrating one for the TA when he realizes that he in unable to "connect" with the students. Because no one likes frustration, the TA in this case could easily develop a dislike for teaching and does not look forward to entering the classroom. ' Facilities and programs exist within the University for correcting this problem, in the form of "Center for English as a Second Language." The real problem here is not with the TA but with the failure of the department to make use of the programs offered by the center. It is the responsibility of the department to ensure that a TA does not have a language problem before subjecting him as well as his students to frustration. Now the second group. Here, the problem is the ability to teach. At this point, there is no fundamental distinction between an American TA and a foreign TA when they are lousy instructors, but of course the undergraduates react differently to the latter. We are not aware that programs exist for improving the instructional abilites of TAs in general and it is the interest of both TAs and students to call for the creation of such programs. A change in attitude is also required of undergrad uates because certain differences between American and foreign TAs will not disappear. Also, given the high percentage of foreign students in some departments, there is necessarily a dependence on foreign instruc tors if present course enrollments and offerings are to be maintained. In particular, students must learn to adjust to the accent of foreign TAs rather than expect the foreigner to 'speak like an American. The foreign TA also needs time to'adjust to an American classroom environment. Further, the image of a foreign TA that exists puts more pressure on the instructor, as more effort is required to compensate for this disadvantage. It is perfectly legitimate for undergraduates to question why they as a group should bear these costs when they are paying for their education. It is our hope, however, that this issue will be resolved in a manner which is mutually beneficial to all affected parties. This forum was written by members of the Executive Committee of the International Student Council.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers