i Crisis i White House rejects Iraqi offer for negotiations I Page 15 East German party rejects unification date By MARK FRITZ Associated Press Writer EAST BERLIN A rare compromise on a date for German unity fell apart yesterday when East Germany’s second-largest party defied its leader and rejected the pact. The left-leaning Social Democrats refused to accept an agreement by the leaders of all polit ical factions that the nation unite with West Ger many on Oct. 14. Richard Schroeder, the Social Democrats’ parliamentary leader, had agreed to the propo sal. He resigned from his post after his party balked at accepting it. The Social Democrats said they would push instead for unity to take place on Sept. 15 because of East Germany’s collapsing economy. Parliament is to meet Wednesday and may con sider the proposal. Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere’s conser vative Christian Democrats hold the most votes in Parliament and are in the best position to set the date for the historic merger. They want unity Anti-obscenity clause causes protest at PSU Official refuses to sign pledge , loses NEA grant By AMANDA MARTIN Collegian Arts Staff The Director of the University’s Cen ter for the Performing Arts is protesting a new anti-obscenity clause adopted by the National Endowment for the Arts, and the stance has already cost his pro gram $5,000. But money isn’t the issue. Director Ken Foster accepted a $5,000 NEA grant this month, but refused to sign the pledge to exclude “obscene art.” The Endowment withdrew the grant. “I could easily sign it, because we don’t do obscenity,” Foster said. “I do hope we do things interesting and pro vocative. I could sign it, thumb my nose at the NEA, and do what I damn well please. But a statement needs to be made, for the artists ability to produce their work unrestricted. ’ ’ Over 1,000 grant applications were reviewed this year by the NEA peer panels for artistic quality and manage ability. After the rigorously competitive process, only 100 were selected as grant recipients. Foster was one of six not to sign the obscenity clause. The new clause uses the Supreme Court definition of obscenity, saying NEA funding may not be awarded to art projects the endowment considers Preliminary diversity guidelines completed By RONA KAUFMAN Collegian Staff Writer Preliminary guidelines for man datory diversity courses were completed this summer by a steer ing committee for the University Faculty Senate. However, committee members are refusing to comment on their recommendations. According to Senate legislation, the Committee for Curricular Affairs and the Committee for Undergraduate Instruction must agree on the guidelines before they go into effect. George Bugyi, senate council executive secretary, said the steering committee was set up to make sure the course require ments will be ready by next sum mer. He added that representatives of each senate committee make up the steering Please see COURSES, Page 13. in the Gulf Timeline for merger now up in the air to coincide with Oct. 14 elections to create the five states that East Germany will become when the Germanys merge. However, demands have been increasing among East Germans for quick unity so West Germany can directly take over political and economic chaos that grows worse almost daily in the nation. De Maiziere’s government the first demo cratically chosen leadership in East German history has been hit by a series of dismissals, resignations and charges of incompetence the past week. The Social Democrats withdrew from de Mai ziere’s broad governing coalition on Sunday in a dispute over unification. On Tuesday evening, they met and voted to reject the Oct. 14 date. De Maiziere is seeking a definitive timetable for the merger of the German states and the dis- obscene. Under the regulation, obscene material includes depictions of sadoma sochism, homoeroticism, the sexual exploitation of children, or individuals engaged in sex acts without “serious lit erary, artistic, political or scientific value.” Foster was to receive the grant for the Dramatic Encounters series, cre ated to present new, diverse and exper imental works. The four performances, including Koyaanisqatsi, Jones/Zane and Co., the American Indian Dance Theatre, and Spalding Grey, met all NEA criteria. The grant would have covered 6 per cent of the “Dramatic Encounters” series costs. How the money will be replaced is uncertain. James Moeser, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, said the budget must be balanced through ticket sales, budget cuts, and an increase in private supporters. Foster decided to reject the grant on his own, but is supported by Moeser. Each program director in the college may decide whether to accept or decline an NEA grant, Moeser said, adding: “It’s a matter of personal conscience.” The series will continue as scheduled to counter the NEA’s attempts to regu late program content, Foster said. Iraq invasion not to effect ROTC By LAURA E.WEXLER Collegian Staff Writer In the wake of the United States’ military intervention in the Persian Gulf, it’s still business as usual for University ROTC students. The University ROTC program commits itself above all else even war to the education of its students, said Lt. Richard Bartolomea, executive officer of Naval ROTC and associate professor of naval science. “The students’ orders right now are to earn a degree. They will not be commissioned until they receive their degrees,” Bartolomea said. At the request of the Saudi Arabian government, President Bush ordered troops into that country following Iraq’s Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. “I don’t suspect anything that happens in the world will even change the curriculum,” said Capt. Gerard Kuchinsky, assistant professor of aerospace studies. However, the situation will probably be a key topic in class, Kuchinsky added. “The reservists that President Bush is considering calling up should not be confused with ROTC participants. They are like apples and oranges. These students are here to earn degrees,” Bartolomea said. Most University ROTC cadets polled are not worried about being shipped out to fight in the immediate future. “It’s very unlikely that I or any cadet will be sent. We’re training to be combat officers and I still have three years of training left,” said Grant Weller, (sophomore-history). “The government tries not to send ROTC and academy stu dents because we still need a military after the war is over,” said Weller, an Air Force cadet. Weller supports the U.S. action in the Middle East and said he is “proud to be a part of the military.” the daily Please see ART, Page 13. Collegian solution of economically battered East Ger many. Under the agreement, the two German states would have legally become a single nation Oct. 14. Germans on both sides are tentatively set to elect a common government in December. After meeting with the leaders of other parties in Parliament, de Maiziere said lawmakers would convene Oct. 9 to formalize the unification date. This was before Schroeder announced his move. Oct. 9 is the first anniversary of a large dem onstration in Leipzig, East Germany, which fueled other pro-democracy protests. The dem onstrations spread across the country, eventual ly bringing down the Communist regime that had ruled four decades. Alluding to the attempt by lawmakers to cap ture the spirit of grass-roots solidarity that toppled the old regime, de Maiziere said Parlia- Ken Foster, director of the University’s Center for the Performing Arts, poses in Eisenhower lobby. Foster refused to sign an anti-obscenity pledge this month which cost the University a $5,000 grant. Robert Guissanie (graduate-management information systems) helps William Scheetz (freshman-engineering) size his Navy uniform. Guisannie begins his first tour of duty today. Diana Deckert, an Army ROTC cadet, also agrees with the U.S. response. “I agree with U.S. action. We have an interest in the area. The economy and safety of the world are at stake. We’re try ing to prevent the oil supply from being in the hands of one man,” said Deckert (sophomore-animal biological science). “I don’t think there’s just one ROTC view on the crisis. The officers don’t tell you what to think. They just offer points of view,” Deckert said. Mike Thomas (senior-biology) does not think the situation will progress into a war. “Right now we’re just doing what is needed. We’re just waiting and putting pressure on the situation. It’s nothing drastic,” said Thomas, an Air Force cadet. SignalcaUer PSU looks to Sacca to lead young squad Page 22 ment will convene under the motto: “Where we come from, where we want to go. ’ ’ Agreeing earlier on the October date were the Christian Democrats; the Social Democrats; the former Communists, the third-largest party in Parliament; and the small Buendnis 90 coalition that includes the intellectuals and activists who led last year’s revolt. Christian Democrats in both German states wanted to keep the date of unification and elec tions for a united Parliament as close together as possible. The Social Democrats said this was because Christian Democrats, including West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, were trying to win the election before West Germans realized the true cost of bailing out East Germany. Dec. 2 has been scheduled for elections for a united Parliament. Many details remain to be worked out. The Collegian Photo/Dan Gleiter Collegian Photo/Chris Gaydosh New president to study University, then set agenda By MARC HARKNESS Collegian Staff Writer Incoming University President Joab L. Thomas said last night he will need a few months to learn more about the University before he begins to set spe cific goals. In a telephone interview from his hotel room at the Nittany Lion Inn, Thomas acknowledged the one-month stretch between his appointment and his inauguration Sept. 1 is yielding little time to meet with members of the Uni versity community. University President Bryce Jordan’s first few months in office set the school on the ambitious course of becoming a top 10 public research institution. His goal was to be accomplished through five-year strategic budget plans and the University’s first major private fund raising campaign. Jordan, however, formulated his New plan overnight Team recommends restrictions on parking in neighborhoods By NINA B. HUNTEMANN Collegian Staff Writer More parking will be available down town, but students will have trouble finding overnight storage for cars if rec ommendations in State College Borough’s neighborhood report are adopted. The 56-page neighborhood action plan was compiled and presented last Feb ruary by the Neighborhood Conserva tion Action Plan Project Management Team, consisting of representatives from neighborhood groups, student organizations, fraternities and devel opment firms. The plan contains recommendations about problems such as parking, crime and safety, residential development and preservation. Six rqjpths of public reviews and hearings on the report came to a close at Monday night’s borough council meeting. “It has been a long haul,” said James Deeslie, president of the Highlands Civ ic Association and key member of the neighborhood report team. “I hope (the council) starts directing committees to write ordinances based on the recom mendations.” The council needs to enact parking solutions quickly, Deeslie said. “I don’t think we can wait any long er,” he said. “I hope the restrictions on parking come quickly.” Parking recommendations in the report include eliminating overnight and all-day parking on neighborhood streets and restricting the size of park ing lots in residential areas. So far, the borough has posted signs Weather Forecast for today and tonight: cloudy and cool with some drizzle. The high will reach 63 and the low will fall to 57. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy and a bit milder, high of 68. Wednesday, Aug. 22,1990 Vol. 91, No. 33 40 pages University Park, Pa. 16801 Published independently by students at Penn State ©1990 Collegian Inc. fighting between political parties in both Ger manys, essentially in the throes of an election campaign, will likely resurface. How to distribute East German property some of which is claimed by West Germans who fled the region after the Soviet invasion of World War II —has been a roadblock to a political trea ty that is to mesh the two countries. East Germany became a free market July 1. Joblessness has since skyrocketed as enter prises struggle to compete with Western compe tition. Regine Hildebrandt, a Social Democrat who resigned as labor minister Tuesday in keeping with her party’s decision to leave de Maiziere’s government, said 25,000 East Germans are los ing their jobs weekly. Unemployment was pegged officially at about 270,000 at the end of July, but more than a mil lion people are being kept on payrolls at reduced hours and wages under a program financed by West Germany. Joblessness is expected to exceed 3 million of the nation’s 8.8 million workers. plans over a nine-month transition peri od. Thomas, who has yet to digest a suit case full of reading material, is experiencing a transition more akin to a late-night cramming session. Thomas is a professor of botany at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and was the school’s president from 1981 to 1988. He was chancellor of the North Carolina State University from 1976 to 1981. Shortly after his selection in July by the University Board of Trustees, Thomas outlined some general goals. Among those were improving academic quality and minority recruitment; maintaining the University’s momen tum toward becoming a top 10 research institution and increasing the percent age of state funding. Thomas is on his second visit to cam pus since his selection and will meet with deans, central administrators and Please see THOMAS, Page 13. may limit parking on West Prospect Avenue restricting overnight parking. The borough Planning Commission is scheduled to meet at noon today to dis cuss two of the report's major proposals removing residential projects from the “in lieu” parking program and rezoning State College Area School Dis trict property. In-lieu parking allows qualified devel opers to pay into a fund instead of pro viding parking facilities on the same land where they build. The money is supposed to be used to build joint park ing facilities in the borough. Three speakers gave testimony prais ing the neighborhood recommendations Monday night, but no mention was made of the controversial proposal to form a “police commission.” The commission would include rep resentatives from student organiza tions, the University Safety department, neighborhood associations, borough council and State College school district in an effort to “increase citizen partic ipation in forming police policy.” Borough police Chief Elwood Wil liams Jr. has said in the past that a police commission would be “confusing to residents.” Since its release, the report has met with approval and criticism from stu dent groups, residents and community organizations. In March, Sherri Rutolo, past presi dent of the Organization for Town Inde pendent Students and former planning commission member, called the report “anti-student.” The report states that the conversion of single-family homes into rental units Please see PARK, Page 13. —Bob Tschantz
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