opinions
editorial opinion
Bleak as the weather
The rain has stopped, the polls have
closed and ballot boxes have been stacked
in a dark corner of the Bellefonte County
Courthouse. It's too late for voters they
must now accept the results of Tuesday's
election.
In the general election, an estimated 38
percent of Centre County's registered vot
ers turned out to make their voices heard in
local elections. Only 38 percent, compared
to the 79 percent who rallied last year to
elect our nation's president.
For campus, voter registration officials
tally the student voter turnout as follows:
• CeQter and South Halls Stephens
Lounge 5.95 percent of 1,110 registered
students.
• Pollack/Nittany Pollack Dining
7.77 percent of 1,119 registered students of
area.
• East Halls (State College borough)
Findlay Dining Hall 8.73 percent of 1,134
registered students.
• West Halls Hamilton Lounge 8.6
percent of 782 registered students.
And students voting at Phi Sigma Kappa
Fraternity reported 25.85 percent turnout.
Turnout was as bleak as the weather
Everyone can speculate on why students
don't vote. One of the most common beliefs
is that students are lazy slobs, who only live
in State College for four or five years. Why
reader opinion
Wrong
This is in reference to the article that appeared in the
the campus brief section of The Daily Collegian on
Wednesday Nov. 6, relating to the Hellenic society spon
sored lecture on "Cyprus and Greek-American rela
tions." The article included gross misrepresentations
that were particularly embarassing to me as the presi
dent of the Hellenic society and the society as a whole.
The article gives the impression that the entire island
and its whole population are under Turkish occupation.
That is wrong. What I had indicated is that 40 percent of
the land of Cyprus is under Turkish occupation and that
the • • Greek-Cypriot inhabitants of that area had been
expelled and have been transformed into refugees in their
own country. In addition, Turkey has been bringing
settlers from Turkey to the occupied north part of Cyprus
in an attempt to alter the demography of the island, which
has always been predominantly Greek.
What was even more embarassing is that I was quoted
as saying that the Cyprus problem is one of minority rule.
That is not true. I had stressed that the essence of the
Cyprus problem is the Turkish occupation. of the north
part of Cyprus, the Turkish expansionist plans against
Cyprus - as well as foreign interference.
Furthermore, I was quoted as saying that the U.S. is
neutral at this time because Turkey is a NATO ally. I
never made such a statement. On the contrary, Greek-
Write please
Although half of Fall Semester is over, many inter
esting issues in Happy Valley still remain unresolved
—what's your opinion?
The Collegian's Board of Opinion is interested in
What the Daily Collegian's readers think and feel about
the issues affecting Penn State.
Authors should bring letters-to-the-editor (one typed
page, double-spaced) or forums (up to three typed
pages, double-spaced) to the office of The Daily Colle
gian in 126 Carnegie Building.
All submissions must be signed, include semester
standing and major and include your phone number.
Picture identification is required with all submissions.
Censorship:
Twisted Sister is vulgar and talentless, but they deserve the chance to express themselves
Won't you listen to what the man said?
Paul McCartney
You pay for your freedom
R.E.M.
It's more important to know how to ask the
right questions than it is to think you have
all the right answers.
764
~'~_
You'd think that censorship would be the
last item on America's list of "Things to
Accomplish Today." But in Washington,
D.C. propaganda center of the world and
home to that conservative hero Ron Reagan
there has been much ado about "porn
rock" and the apparently obscene lyrics
contained therein.
Author Unknown
~~ ~
~~D~~~-,
would they take time to vote?
Then there's the lame excuse that "my
vote won't make any difference." Well, a
vote can make a difference. In fact, 37 votes
made the difference for the third borough
council seat.
A group of Centre County registered stu
dent voters could make a big difference in
who sits on Municipal Council.
Student groups tried to register voters,
but there's a big difference between regis
tering and voting.
Students had the chance to make their
voices heard on Tuesday, but most didn't
take advantage of that chance. The num
bers show students seem to be content to let
other voters make their decisions.
Remember that chance you had Tuesday
in the future when council changes the noise
ordinance, apartment regulations or tries to
get rid of your favorite spring fun run.
How much students value their vote is
directly proportional to how satisfied stu
dents are with the degree of control the
municipal council exerts over their person
al lives.
It seems a college education has not
afforded its students one of the most impor
tant lessons of all: self-government doesn't
start with your complaints it starts with
your vote.
American relations have been strained because of what
the Greeks perceive as a pro-Turkish tilt in U.S. foreign
policy. The U.S. has unfortunately tolerated, to say the
least, Turkish designs on Cyprus. For example, while the
U.S. constantly condems the soviet invasion of Afghani
stan, we hear nothing about Turkish violations of human
rights and international law in Cyprus.
Andreas Theophanous, president of the Hellenic society
Nov. 6
Please return
A banner on campus promoting the "GREAT PITT
PENN STATE BLOOD DONOR CHALLENGE" "disap
peared" on Nov. 5. It was hanging at the top of the mall,
from the trees, off Pollock Road. Funds for the banner
were generously donated by community businesses who
recognized the great need that the blood challenge fills in
keeping our blood banks at a safe level. If the individu
al(s) now in possession of the banner would please return
it to the HUB desk, no questions will be asked. The blood
drives for the "Challenge" run today through November
20th, so it's immediate return will be appreciated! We
only want to promote a worthwhile event that our whole
community will benefit from.
Connie Schroeder, Campus Coordinator
American Red Cross
Nov. 6
Op/ed: Rockview
As Nov. 19 draws near, the State Correctional Insti
tution at Rockview will become the focus of a great
deal of controversy.
Opinion Editor Doug Popovich wants to know what
you think about the use of the death penalty. On
Wednesday, Nov. 13, The Daily Collegian will publish
an op/ed page with your views on this topic.
If you have an opinion you'd like to share, present it
in the form of a letter-to-the-editor (one typed page,
double spaced) or forum (no more than three typed
pages, double spaced) by Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. in
the Collegian office, 126 Carnegie Building. Letters and
forums must be presented by the author in person.
A group of women Rolling Stone mag
azine calls them the "Washington Wives"
formed the Parents' Music Resource Center
in an attempt to rid society of the music that
they consider "objectional." For some rea
son, I'm reminded of a man named McCar
thy, who in the 19505, took action to rid the
United States of communist sympathizers.
And thank goodness he did; otherwise we
wouldn't have such an undying paranoia
about the Soviet Union and communism
(which contrary to popular American be
lief, are not the same thing).
But the issue is not communism, though
censorship in any form is one characteristic
of communism an ideology most of us
have been indoctrinated to believe is sinis
ter. And here we are in America, the home
of the free and land of the depraved, as the
Washington Wives would have you believe,
dictating what a bunch of overamplified
musicians can sing.
Please don't get me wrong. I don't mean
to defend the likes of Twisted Sister, Motor
head, or W.A.S.P. some of the bands that
are in the bull's-eye of the PMRC's target.
In terms of social value, their music, and I
use the term lightly, is comparably nil. It is
also formulaic, and the bands that make it
are virtually interchangable.
But again, the issue is not whether the
music is valuable; it is whether anyone --
the PMRC or King Coi.servatism himself
has the right to declare lyrics objectionable
and impose his morality on the musicians
who choose to express themselves the way
they do which in most cases is valueless.
As it stands now, the recording industry
has given in to some of the PMRC's de
mands, but some of those demands are out
of the record companies' jurisdiction. The
companies will now print on all new albums,
with few exceptions, warnings of the expli
cit lyrical content if indeed the PMRC
deems it necessary.
While the decision to print these warnings
on the back covers of albums is being called
"voluntary" on the part of the record com
panies, I get the feeling that if the PMRC
had its way, every one of the 25,000 new
songs that are released each year would
sound like the theme song to Little House on
the Prairie.
Yes, the music that the PMRC has chosen
to attack is at best devoid of any positive
social value. It perpetuates sexist attitudes
datig Collegian Arens; Graphics Editor: Tony Cicca- 126 Carnegie Building; University
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Assistant Photo Editors: Dan Oles- withheld on request. Letters may
ki, Gregg Zelkin; Business Page also be selected for publication in
Thursday, Nov. 7, 1985 Coordinator: Rich Douma. The Weekly Collegian
01985 Collegian Inc.
• Karen Jaret
Business Manager
Gall L. Johnson
Editor
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
Collegian, Collegian Inc. or The
Pennsylvania State University.
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Board of Editors Managing Edi
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Mail letters to: The Daily Collegian;
and it may yet be proven that such trashy
music promotes violence for all I know, it
may even cause cancer in laboratory ani
mals. I will even grant the PMRC that the
music they are condemning is too loud.
But then, Rodney Dangerfield is too loud
for my taste, and he's an - entertainment
legend in this country. Has he ever been the
subject of a potential lynch mob like the
PMRC? Of couse he hasn't, and he's made
jokes about alcoholism, sexual impotency
and menopause.
The PMRC is not satisfied with the re
cording industry's concession to put warn
ing labels on albums. It wants to regulate
the lyrics of songs that may have references
to sex, violence and drugs. In short, it wants
to censor what it considers immoral.
If we allow organizations such as the
PMRC to get away with censoring the music
it finds immoral, where then do we draw the
line? If we censor W.A.S.P. for singing
"Animal (F--K Like a Beast)," mustn't we
also censor Madonna for intimating that
she's only "Like a Virgin," or the Thompson
Twins for pleading with you to "Lay Your
Hands on Me"?
I don't like the music of Twisted Sister,
The Daily Collegian
Thursday, Nov. 7, 1985
0 41 (1985 :1 - leglan Inc
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the business manager. If a com
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grievances may be filed with the
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of Collegian Inc. Information on
filing grievances is available from
Gerry Lynn Hamilton, executive sec
retary, Collegian Inc.
About the Collegian: 'The Daily
Collegian and The Weekly Collegian
are published by Collegian Inc., an
independent, non-profit corporation
with a board of directors composed
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als. Students of The Pennsylvania
State University write and edit both
papers and solicit advertising
material for them. The Daily Colle
gian is published Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
during the semester, and Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday dur
ing the summer. It is distributed on
the University Park campus. The
Weekly Collegian Is mailed to Com
monwealth campus students, par
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Black Sabbath, AC / DC, ad infinitum. But I
respect the First Amendment and the rights
it provides to musicians who want to make
idiots of themselves, no matter how vulgar,
tasteless and valueless their means of self
expression may be. I don't want some
holier-than-heavy-metal committee decid
ing for me what music is appropriate or
tasteless.
This is America, afterall; and it might
just be that I define the meaning of America
differently than the PMRC. But it seems to
me that if we allowed Joseph McCarthy to
express his paranoia of communism and
George Wallace to express his racial preju
dice while he was the governor of Alabama,
we also have the obligation to allow terrible
music to be made by crude musicians. They
can't do any more harm than McCarthy or
Wallace.
I simply want the freedom to choose for
myself what music is appropriate. What
about you?
John Brodeur is a senior majoring in
English and a columnist for The Daily
Collegian. His column appears every Thurs
day.
campus briefs
Personnel V.P. day at the Centre County Courthouse
in Bellefonte to hear attorneys Earle
resigns D. Lees Jr. of Clearfield and Richard
Ray T. Fortunato, UniVersity assis- H. Milgrub of Dußois argue for their
tant vice president for personnel ad- client, Comitz.
ministration will retire Jan. 3 after 37 Brown said he has not already
years of service. decided to reconsider.
Fortunato, 62, said he plans to The defense, arguing her sentence
establish a State College consulting should be lessened, will present a
firm in higher education personnel recent report. on Comitz's mental
administration. condition from Dr. Joseph Silverman
"I have done a good bit of consult- of Altoona, Milgrub said.
ing," he said. "In all cases it has If the judge reconsiders, he will
come to me. It has been in personnel most likely decide the new sentence
administration, but primarily higher that day, Milgrub said.
education administration. I'm going Comitz pleaded guilty in June to the
to see what happens when Igo looking third-degree murder of her one
for consulting work." month old son, Garrett, whose body
Fortunato began at the University was found Jan. 4 in a mountain
in 1948 as employment manager. He stream near Philipsburg. Comitz told
was named director of employee rela- police a day earlier the baby was
tions in 1955 and became director of kidnapped from her car parked at a
the department of personnel service department store in Decatur Town
and employee relations in 1960. ship. Comitz is being held at the
He was named assistant vice presi- Clearfield County Prison.
dent of personnel administration in —by K.J. Mapes
1971. •
Fortunato holds an undergraduate
degree in business administration
and a master's degree in music com
position.
He is a past president of the Nation
al College and University Personnel
Association and received the organi
zation's Donald Dickason Award in
1972, the Diedrich K. Willers Award
in 1979 and the publications achieve
ment award in 1982 and 1983.
—by Damon Chappie
Judge to reconsider
Comitz sentence
The judge who sentenced Sharon
Kay Comitz to eight to 20 years in
prison with psychiatric treatment for
murdering her infant son, said yes
terday he would listen to arguments
on whether he should reconsider her
sentence.
Centre County President Judge
Charles C. Brown Jr., said he has
scheduled a hearing for 3 p.m. Tues-
***********************************************k
*
* CORPORATE DAY 9 85
*
* *
"ENGINEERS: INNOVATORS OF
* THE FUTURE"
* *
SATURDAY, NOV. 9, 1985
* *
** WORKSHOPS, *
* *
* 1:00 pm:
*
*
* 158 Willard: HRB SINGER presents: Considerations for making the transition I
* 160 Willard: GREENHORNE & O'MARA presents: Planning your interview *
* *
* • 2:00 pm:
* 158 Willard: LOCUS presents: Interviewing/The life of an entry level engineer
* 160 Willard: GE SPACE SYSTEMS DIVISION presents: Challenges at GE
*
* Space Systems Div.
*
* 3:00 p.m.:
*
* 158 Willard: AT&T BELL LABORATORIES presents: Fiber Optics
*
* 160 Willard: CORNING presents: Robotics
*
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Tenn State`BooKtore
on campus
Ag. Career Day
to be held today
Three - job interview seminars will
highlight the fourth annual Ag Career
Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today in the
HUB Ballroom.
Event co-chairman E. Richard
Lower said the three seminars deal
ing with "what an employer looks for
in an interview" will be at 12:20, 1:25,
and 2:30 this afternoon in the HUB
Assembly Room.
Ag Career Day is co-sponsored by
the College of Agriculture, Alpha
Gamma Rho fraternity, college
alumni and the state Department of
Agriculture.
More than 40 agriculture-related
businesses will set up displays for the
program, said J. Philip Bucher, as
sistant director of the Career Devel
opment and Placement Center.
Speakers at 12:20 p.m. include
Gary S. Heckman, Atlantic Breeders
Association.
EVERYONE WELCOME
presented by the Society of Women Engineers
—by James Stewart
Music
SALE...
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November 5"1-8th
New assoc. dean
stresses academia
By CELESTE McCAULEY
Collegian Staff Writer
The new associate dean for
graduate studies and research in
the College of Engineering
stressed quality graduate pro
gramming and urged students to
consider academic life as a profes
sion.
Thomas Seliga fielded questions
recently from students represent
ing 13 University engineering de
partments and programs at an
event sponsored by the the Engi
neering Graduate Student Council
and the American Society of Engi
neering Education.
Seliga, an engineering staff
member from 1961 to 1969, served
as director of the Atmospheric
Sciences Program at Ohio State
University before assuming his
new post Sept. 1.
"It's very different from the
undergraduate, course work type
of experience. It was difficult for
me to get into the research end of
education. It requires a totally
different approach and thinking
process," he said.
Seliga said he is pleased that
graduate students at Penn State
have come from some of the finest
universities across the nation.
"That's extremely important to
Penn State because it's that mix of
students and faculty that makes
for a very vigorous and exciting
university and provides you with
career opportunities and experi
ences that are broad-ranging."
Seliga said he also stressed the
positive aspects of teaching to
engineering graduate students.
"l chcise the academic life and I
haven't been sorry about that. I
hope many of you will choose
academia because it gives you an
opportunity to work with young
people which is always a chal
lenge."
He noted that engineering also
needs more women and minorities
in the teaching profession.
Industries are attracting people
away from academia, Seliga said,
and he urged students to consider
staying after completing their
graduate programs.
Wilbur Meier, dean of the Col
lege of Engineering, said one of
the college's top priorities is qual
ity graduate studies.
"We're trying to demonstrate
this by starting a group such as the
Engineering Graduate Student
Council, by asking students what
they think of our graduate pro
gram, and trying to do something
to make it better."
"We've made some major im
provements in the quality of the
programming both in terms of the
overall quality of the faculty, the
quality of graduate students we
have, the intensity and interest
that both have and increasing fi
nancial support," he said.
"We've got a long way to go but
we're making some , substantial
progresss there," he said.
Frank Murphy (graduate-me
chanical engineering) said it is
important for graduate students
doing research to meet Seliga for
an understanding of his and the
entire administration's attitudes.
"From what I can see, some
body like Seliga, who is very ac
cessible to students, really makes
the position worthwhile," Murphy
said. "He always answers your
questions if you have any and
makes himself available to you if
you need to talk with him."
police log
• Fred Burns, presentation serv- • Elaine Makepeace, assistant
ices supervisor, 1 Willard, reported housekeeping supervisor, 21 Redifer,
Tuesday that a $3OO overhead projec- reported Tuesday that someone dam
tor was missing from 103 Ferguson aged a window in the Stephens Hall
and another $3OO overhead projector lobby, University police said. Dam
was missing from 233 Chambers, age was estimated at $l3O,
University Police Services said.
•An radio belonging to Claire four instances of criminal mischief
Schilling, 218 S. Sparks St., was re- Tuesday involving pellets being shot:
ported missing Tuesday from 115 Robert Beam, 120 Hillcrest Ave.,
East Human Development, Universi- reported that someone shot pellets
ty police said. and damaged the glass in his lamp
post.
• A $2OO sign was reported missing Janette Peikert, 204 Woodlawn
Tuesday from Sunset Park off McKee Drive, reported that someone shot
Street. In addition, $350 in damage to pellets and damaged her screen and
glass block window lights was report- door glass.
ed, State College Bureau of Police Dorothy Heidrich, 433 W. Park
Services said. Ave., reported that someone shot a
• Twenty-four cassettes valued at Anna Keller, 721 N. Thomas St.,
$72 belonging to James Clark, 311 S. reported that someone shot a pellet
Burrowes St., were reported missing through the window of her residence.
from his vehicle. —by Tom Schaffner
collegian notes
• The Women's Alliance will present • The College Republicans will
Ruth C. Rudy and Helen C. Wise meet at 7 tonight in 708 Hetzel Plaza
speaking on women in politics at noon
today in the Paul Robeson Cultural
Center
• The American Indian Student
Association will meet at 1 today in 417 • The Paul Robeson Cultural Cen-
Rackley. Frank McKeana will speak ter will show the movie "Sparkle" at
on Canadian Indian issues. 7 tonight in the auditorium.
o Graduate Students Concerned
o The College of Science Student
About Apartheid will meet at 2:30 Council will meet at 7:30 tonight in
today in 232 Sparks. 317 Boucke.
• The Food Science Club will meet
at 7 tonight in 117 Borland. • The Cycling Club will meet at
7:30 tonight in 217 Willard.
• The Student Nursing Association
will meet at 7 tonight in rooms 4 and 5
East Human Development.
The Daily Collegian Thursday, Nov. 7, 1985-9
• State College police reported
pellet through the outside of his post
• The Vocational Industrial Clubs
of America will meet at 7 tonight in
102 Rackley.
• The Fencing Club will meet at 8
tonight in 33 White Building.