opinions .............„--;- ;.:,.,. editorial opinion -geg.t. rA - - 4 p...F.'2,_ -. -air • a r t e4f=- .. 7.4% ~,,,A ~...,..„ •744 , 'e - \ - A three-tier blame *. . .iitniw• . ,47 -e; ... . 04.:•...!-:4 4 P., I Sp- , . 4 t s ).`" , ~.: f• i ' 4 ."'" 4)*:ft t 4 v. 1.11 (11 Somewhere along the road the Academic He's right. Baker and Sturgis should have Assembly of the Undergraduate Student kept closer ties with the assembly to try and , Government ran into trouble. help solve problems within it instead of . , Instead of dealing with issues such as circumventing it by forming CREEPS. academic advising and the switch from The Daily Collegian can't wash its hands • ' 4 )l baccalaureate degree requirements to gen- of the issue either. • f ' ti eral education requirements, assembly , , , members got caught in the web of petty As a watchdog of the student leadership : . -0. politics this past year. on campus, our coverage was less than It would be easy to solely point the finger stellar, to say the least. For the most part, of blame for the assembly's failures at the Collegian chose to ignore the assembly assembly members and former president for the majority of the year because nothing • , Debbie Roberts, but it would also be unjust. was going on nothing that was news worthy. That in itself was a story. Three parties should accept the blame: • . USG executives, The Daily Collegian and As newsgatherers for the student body, the assembly itself. Collegian reporters should have reported Former USG President Matt Baker and that those entrusted with representing that . Vice President Sue Sturgis are faulted for body were not doing their job. not making their misgivings known to the assembly and failing to keep the lines ofpen. Then, there's the assembly itself. It's , on communication open. again off-again election for executives was • Baker told the Collegian he attended only a most fitting end to a fruitless year for one meetingof the assemblyin his 12-month Penn State students. But, assembly mem- term. He criticized it for not being an bers did accomplish one thing: they suc activist organization and added he didn't cessfully silenced a necessary student voice • think he could work with Roberts. He also to faculty and administration. cited overlapping meetings of the Commit- USG executives, the Collegian and Aca tee Regarding Excellence in Education at demic Assembly are presumably here to • Penn State as a reason for his absence. serve students and keep them informed. If "I should have gone to academic assem- they are at all concerned with upholding bly meetings," he later admitted. "It might that responsibility, they will all learn from have kept the morale up." the assembly's past year of stagnation. . . • ' • ~ evikmageos,=.. , C9t4114.604.40 , 11 4 4EV Kr" reader opinion Created by One I am a male Jew. Some say that I am "white," some just say that I am a Jew. Most agree that I am not black. This is not who I am, just how I am perceived. When I first came to Penn State, I decided to get involved in black-Jewish dialogue. I believe that getting together is not only important to our own communities, but to our society. Recently, I participated in "speak-out" on racism. Together with participating in Ebony and Ivory, and a program on the minister Louis Farrakhan, as well, I've begun to piece together a' few themes. Some of them disturb me. Some of them tend only to cloud the issues, some to transform them, some to lend a hostile tone to the discussion. I'd like to address a few of my concerns: Is Louis Farrakhan an anti-Semite? First off, to avoid a useless semantic debate, let's call it "Jew-hatred." So, we ask, is Farrakhan a Jew-hater. Only Jews can answer this question. Just as blacks are•best qualified to detect racism, Jews are best qualified to address Jew hatred. In fact, Black Caucus President Seth Williams hit the nail right on the head when he expressed suspicion of whites who claimed to "understand" racism, it's impossi ble Co understand fully another's experiences. It is also true that just as all whites are at best recovering racists, all non-Jews are at best recovering Jew-haters. Let us not be naive, let us not set a dangerous double standard. Blacks should not ignore Jewish concerns about Farrak ha n. Is the color of Jesus, Moses, and other Biblical Jews not relevant to a discussion of Racism? Within the black community the discussion of their being black could be quite relevant in fostering pride and identitiy. And in this sense can a potent weapon in defending against racism. To the white Christian community, it is also a vital issue to explore as they re-evaluate their racial and cultural biases. But as a Jew, I have difficulty relating to such a discussion. Jews, except for a stray minority, have never even recognized racial distinctions. It's a European concept that is alien to Judaism. Today, there are Jews of the white race, of the black race, and of the Oriental race; there are Indians and Arabs, Hispanics, and Native Americans. And we all have more in common with each other, than with non-Jews of the same race. One need only go to tiny I'd like to take the opportunity to an nounce that I'll have a book coming out in your local bookstore this fall. It'll list for $15.95, but I'll give you a break on the price if you go and browbeat your local bookstore owner into stocking the book. I haven't settled on a title yet, _but I'M considering Success?: The Easy Way or Joseph Alcott: Another Brick in the Wall. This book isn't based on personal experi ence, far from it. Rather, I based my book on a series of interviews conducted over the past month with Joseph "Corndog" Alcott, a hopefully graduating senior here at Penn State. Now I've known Joe for some time up An interview with a graduating senior who is a reflection of us al 'eAd Israel and see the ease with which this colorful collection forms a cohesive society. So it is very difficult for us to understand this stress placed on skin color. We have very little insight to offer on this topic. We can relate to minority discrimination, but the issue of Abraham's skin color shall forever (and fortunately) remain irrelevant to us and to any black- Jewish dialogue. Do Jews in reality oppress blacks? This is sort of like asking if blacks are lazy. It is a crude accusation that serves only to dehumanize others. It is all too true that the black tommunity has to be suspicious of anyone coming to "help" them, they've already received too much "help." But people should not be judged collectively as a group (needless to say). They should be judged rather as individuals on the merit of their conviction and sincerity. And so through my hours and hours of discussion with Black Caucus members, I've been accused of a thousand crimes and they still don't get my name right. But I go on, and we go on, and those interested in fighting racism will be going on for a while. But there is a lot to look forward to, around the country and right here at Penn State. Racism is an issue that concerns everyone, it cannot be solved by the black community working alone, nor can it be solved if we believe the problem exists only in the white community. We still have much to learn from each other. White is not beautiful, nor is black beautiful. Individual people are beautiful for their views and ideas, for their conviction and committment. Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Recovering racist Mr. Seth Williams, In the past few weeks, I have considered responding to various articles. Lawrence Young's article and your editorial concerning Ebony and Ivory week hurt me, but it was your most recent writing in Travis Parchman's column that finally brought my pen to paper. I have listened. I have read. I have cried when learning of the violent atrocities marchers faced in Birmingham, Montgomery, and other historic demonstrations. I have Another brick in the wall here, and I'd have to say that he is an example to all of us. The following are excerpts from the interviews. Q: Tell me a little bit about your back ground, Joe. A: My old man is a lawyer for a firm in Philly; Mom works in some office down town. Got a younger brother and sister. We all live outside the city, typical suburban bit you know. Q: You had a pretty easy childhood then; family, car, and everything else? A: No, it pretty much blew. Pretty boring, you know. Q: Then you would say your experiences really weren't that diverse? A; Diverse! Hell yes they were diverse! My friends and I went to the Gallery in Philly at least once a month. We used to hit a lot of shopping malls. I even saw a few black people on television a couple of times. Q: I take •it then your high school wasn't too racially integrated. A: Racially integrated? No, I wouldn't say that. Q: How'd you do in high school? A: Well for one thing, high school blew. I Yoram Egosi freshman-economics did enough of the busy work to get the grade so I could go to college you know. That's how the game's played, right? Q: Why did you decide to go on to college if you didn't like school? A: (Laughter) Are you a smack or what? How do you expect to get a well- paying job without a college diploma? Besides, my old man would have been pretty upset if I'd have told him I wasn't going on to school. Q: What do you think of the statement that education's purpose is to help you find out who you are? A: Don't throw that 'philosophy psycho babbo at me. Education, especially a col lege education, is for learning skills so you can go out and earn a living. Get real. Q: Why did you choose Penn State, Joe? A: Hell, it's cheap and you got Paterno and the Nittany Lions. (Laughter) Besides, it's got a good business school. Q: What was your first year at main campus like? A: Oh, it was awesome! I lived oUt in East. We didn't do any Work and massively partied on the weekend. Threw up every weekend for five weeks straight. done what you asked. I have participated and engaged with blacks and black organizations. To me, you are at the very least a person with whom I can share the world. To you, I am at most a "recovering racist." Similar to written history, your article was aimed at the masses. I am the minority you overlooked. I'm the minority behind your cause one 100 percent. I'm the minority who wants to help. I know of the racist horrors of past and present. I don't "wholeheartedly understand" the African American's plight, but I do try. I am at most a "recovering racist." You said that being black in America means constant oppression and forced struggle. Although I do not know you, I am sure that you are also rightfully proud to be an African American. 'You also said that being black in America is to be constantly told by white people how you should feel about being black in America. You say society taught blacks how whites think. You can never know how one person thinks until she truly shares. Are you willing to share? I am. I am at most a "recovering racist." Your charted "journey of a million miles starts with the first step." Some of us have already taken two or three. We have not asked blacks to change for our acceptance, yet we have changed for yours. Some of us are trying and want to help. I feel for the pained history of the African American. I know the past. I want to move on. I want to overcome. The most I can be is a "recovering racist." Allow me to recover. Not forsaken It saddened me to read Andrew Phillips' recent column on absolute faith. He repeatedly referred to blind faith and the negative consequences that can result from it. I agree with him. Christianity, however, is not blind faith. the Collegian daily Monday April 13, 1987 ©1987 Collegian Inc. Chris Raymond Editor Kimberly Beane senior-elementary education The Daily Collegian's editorial opin ion is determined by its Board of Opinion, with the editor holding final responsibility. Opinions ex- Q: You joined a frat, but got kicked out Why? A: Not enough sex and beer. Q: What are you majoring in? A: Finance. Except for goddamn English 15 and Speech Corn 100 I haven't had any major contact with my profs or taken any thing but multiple choice tests. (Sorry, you'll have to buy the book to find put how Joe did this.) English and Speech. Corn weren't that hard though. I used some of my friend's papers and speeches. Still I think they should drop them as requirements. You can't use anything you learn in them in real life. Anyway I got a job in investment banking lined up after graduation. Q: Sounds nice. A: Hey, what the hell is your major? Q: Take a look at the bottom of the column, A: History !? ! (Laughter) Why didn't you go to some faggot liberal arts school for that? What the hell can you do with a degree in history? Q: Well when I graduate I'm gonna buy a motorcycle, a stars and stripes helmet, and a leather jacket with the flag on the back. Why am I here'? Why should I trust God? Is it worth it? When that person does decide to accept Jesus into his life, it is because he knows that He is the answer to all of his questions. It is a process that is far from blind. Andrew also refers to the fact that "faith makes us vunerable to betrayal." Faith in God, however, does not. It is a truly wonderful feeling the first time you leave something fully in God's hands. He pulls through every time! He will never let you down. In fact, I have found that He can handle situations much better than I ever could! It makes me wonder why I ever trust myself. As for robbing us of our individuality - again I must disagree. By trusting the Lord and following His Way, you are freed to become the person you are meant to be. What are you freed from: the many addictive temptations of the world. I do not need to preach to you about harmful effects of many of our society's practices such as exces sive drinking, sex, and drugs. We are all aware of them and so is God. He wants to protect us from them. I propose that addiction to such practices is what really robs us of our indivivality. How can we be "ourselves" when we are dependent on such things to get us through the week, have a good time, or enjoy a personally fulfilling relationship? As a Christian, God helps you to resist such temptations. Many of us have been discouraged by disappointing experiences in which we put our faith in someone just to have them let us down. If this has ever happened to you, I would like to offer you some hope. There is Someone who will never let you down or disappoint you! There is Someone who rewards your faith by being with you every moment of every day! The Lord loves you and wants you to trust him! As He says in His own words, "I will never fail you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 Glenn B. Rougier Business Manager I'm gonna head out west and do the Easy Rider thing. (Laughter) Let's get off the subject of myself and get your opinions on some issues. What do you think about di vestment? A: Gotta beer? A : Ron's doin' a good job. If people would only leave him alone. Do I have to get this beer myself? Q: Hmmm. What kind of music do, you like? A: Oh, anything with a synthesized, repe titive drum track. Most definitely. *Q: By the way, who's gonna win the World Series this year? A: Now you're talkin' some sense. I'm sorry but my Mets are gonna romp again.' To hell with your Phillies. Q: We'll see. We'll see. A Hundred Years of Excellence. I'm Penn State proud. Buy my book this fall and make me rich. Brian Metrick is a senior majoring in history and is a columnist for The Daily Collegian. The Daily Collegian Monday, April 13, 1987 Kim Casper sophomore-individual and family studies pressed 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 publica tions, is a separate corporate insti tution from Penn State. Q: How about Ron and ol' Iranscam? opinions Acknowledging the absolute proof of God in all of us In response to Todd Christopher's column "Talking to the Big Guy" (March 11) and to the "Vague concept" letter (March 23), I would contend that, as the Bible teaches (Romans 1:18- 32), there is absolute proof for God displayed in His creation and built into our very selves. Forum We often ignore the fact that all reasoning is ultimately circular. The only alternative to rea soning in a circle is reasoning in a vicious circle, it has been said. EVERY argument or assertion begins with an unproven principle, or presuppo sition. If it could be proven then it would no longer be a principle but rather another statement derived ultimately from some other principle. Everyone has a faith committment to some god, whether it be something in creation (e.g. an ideal, a physical object, an event) or to the creator Himself. As would be expected (under my assumption of man as a finite being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)), our rea soning must begin with a faith committment because man cannot have exhaustive knowledge he is finite and is created by God; he is not God Himself. My faith is in the God who has revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ, and who has given humanity a written, propositional reve lation in the words of the Bible this is my ultimate presupposition. For the Christian, the Bible is the ultimate authority if the Christ of the Bible is truly his or her God (John 14:15) because the Bible is His Pizzal/1" North (Heritage Oaks, Tof trees & Park Forest) - ®% 231 E. Beaverl7B6 N.Atherton Ave. expires 4/14/87 , ilk 234.0182 one coupon per customer . 238.2220 4 1 , • . U.S.G. 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Find out more about the Navy Nuclear You also receive a year of paid Propulsion Officer Candidate Program, graduate-level training that's the most and make your education start paying off comprehensive in the world. And you'll today. Call Navy Management Programs: acquire expertise with state-of-the-art 1-800-692-7818. N NAVY - OFFICER. LEAD THE ADVENTURE. LT. DAVE JUDY WILL BE ON CAMPUS DOING INTERVIEWS APRIL 14 AND 23, 1987 authoritative word (He authorized the Old Testa ment (John 10:35) and preauthorized the New (John 15:20, 16:12-15)). It provides the presuppo sitions upon which all consistently Christian thought is built. However, the non-Christian's infallible authority is his/her own mind, using experience as the basis for truth. I mentioned above that the only alternative to circular reasoning (Christian thought) is vicious ly circular reasoning (non-Christian thought). Non-Christian thought, in assuming (1) that man was not created by the biblical God but is rather the ultimate and final reference point in explain ing all things, (2) that all things are "created" and "controlled" by sheer random chance, and (3) that the power of logic within the human mind is the means of determining what is and is not possible within the universe of chance, leads to the "the vicious circle." Man starts out trying to interpret the universe apart form recognizing the Creator and, if con sistent, ends up destroying the possibility of possessing any knowledge. For if God does not have the ultimate control over His creation (Colossians 1:15-17, Exodus 15:18) and random chance does, there is no possibility for knowl edge. Every thought of ours is then a self-contra diction; one would merely be trying to rationalize that which is ultimately irrational. There is no probability or use of evidence possi ble the notion of probability is based on reason, and to know any evidence requires the truthful ness of sensory perception. But if chance is ultimate, then my logic system may not be yuur logic system, and my senses may just be giving me random, inaccurate stimuli about an unkno wable universe. Thus, non-Christian thought "steals" from Christian thought. In objecting to the Christian view of life, one must presuppose no 'Z2 To -Special! oose from 12 varieties onal Strombolis (one lb. each) $6.89 its truth. "Proving" the existence of God is a moot point He is the ground of proof itself. The only reason we know anything is because we were created in God's image. Because of His mercy, our Creator has given each of us a limited amount of knowledge, reason and understanding (cf. John 1:9), to make life possible. Because God is rational, so are we, because He made us in His image. We can know facts about the universe because we were created to be, in certain finite ways, like the one, who created the universe. However, if we consistently believe that chance and not God is in "control," there can be no hope for authentic knowledge of anything. A consis tent non-Christian outlook on life leads either to logical fallacy or complete nihilism. The inconsistency in non-Christian thought is a reflection of the reason every human being (including myself) is deserving of damnation in the sight of a just and perfect God. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans, 1:20. In other words, all of humanity knows that this God truly exists and that we are responsible for our actions before Him. We say there is never enough "evidence" to "prove" God's existence because we don't want there to be enough. Despite our hypocrisy, God in His love has provided us with a means of salvation from our sin it is by trusting Christ's death and resurrection on our behalf to save us from what we deserve for our rebellion against Him. We must start living the way God created us to live for the, Creator and not for creatures. Jeffrey Smith is a sophomore majoring in economics. April 30, 1966: Penn State students, protesting the University's visitation policy, rallied on Old Main lawn, according to The Daily Collegian. Ten days later, they entered the building to deliver a letter of protest to University President Eric A. Walker. Read all about it. May 7, 1970: About 4,000 students marched through town and campus in a funeral procession. They carried four coffins to symbolize the students who were killed at Kent State. It was another spring of unrest at Penn State. Read all about it. Read all about it in Centennial Magazine. Centennial Magazine is 100 pages from the last century of student newspapers. News, issues and opinions, sports, women, Collegian history, humor and ad reprints are all included in this commemorative publication. Centennial Magazine is available at the Collegian office in 126 Carnegie Building. You can also find it at several retail outlets in the State College area. Centennial Magazine 1987 Collegian Inc ~_******************************* . * . 4,4, DON'T * . 4, 4,4, 4, 4 . 4, 4 4(( STRIKE * * * . ' • ** 4 OUT! rp 4( ... I 'Z' ...,LA..• * 4( -1522, er 4( 4 ( 4( * * Juniors in the Ist Five Colleges: 4 *( * Time's Almost Up to Get Your * Senior Portrait Taken. * Run to 209 HUB, Stop by Your Table in the HUB * * * Basement, or Call 865-2602 To Be a Hit in La Vie 'BB * Sign Up Now and Be Eligible to Win ** * A Free Yearbook * * Or a Session for Two at Nittany Hot Springs +4 4( 4( LA VIE 'BB Celebrating You! 4 , 4 ( 44****************************** Read all about it. The news of the century. reader opinion Absurd idea The Baby M ordeal is breaking down America's norms and values. I have no problem with the legalities of the case, since if Mrs. Whitehead did not give up the child, it would have been a clear case of breach of con tract. I find fault with the idea behind the surrogate mother. Are there not numerous orphans and abandoned children in the United States in need of a good home with caring parents? I can understand the frustration two people must feel when they learn they cannot have children of their own but, the thought of paying someone to bear a child is absurd. It goes against the value held by most Americans that children should be brought into this world by a husband and wife, not some stranger. If the couple is unable to have children only option should be to adopt and give less-fortunate children a chance at a better future. The surrogate mother herself may not realize the burden this child will present. Initially, perhaps the only concern is the exchange of money, but after carrying the child for nine months and making sure she takes . proper care of her own body so the child develops correctly, some type of bonds must form making giving up the child difficult at any price. This case will leave emotional scars on Baby M, who will almost certainly read about herself in future history books since the judgment of her case is a milestone for our judi- The Daily Collegian Monday, April 13, 1987-9 cial system. This could have been avoided if her parents would have followed normal procedures rather than finding a "mother for hire." Added pressures In response to "Working on equali ty" and related reader opinions: I agree, affirmative action must take place in our society. Also, institutio nalized discrimination must gradual ly be done away with because it's immoral and unconstitutional. But, I don't feel it's right for white males of the late 1980 s to suffer for the dis crimination of the past. Sex role stratification will always be present unless our society can have an egalitarian outlook. This means members of our society treat one another as equals. With the Equal Rights Ammendment and women taking specialized jobs outside the home, this could be accomplished. In reality, no one should expect rapid changes to occur, because of the traditional male vs. female roles. The minority individual is often times qualified for positions. Howev er, employers and institutions are being pressured into hiring or accept ing individuals who are not qualified, in order to fill their required quotas. With the ruling by the Supreme Court, there will be added pressures imposed. This is not fair to the em ployer or the more qualified appli cant who has put in the hours of study or work to get to that position. CO nal Sci - i 1 sta3ed Todd R. Swanson Steve Frantz
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers