10 The Daily Collegian
Editorial Opinion
Administrators must solidify plans
for building a new cultural center
The University has finally gotten
the ball rolling on something they
promised students almost three
years ago a new Paul Robeson
Cultural Center.
In 1988, administrators accepted
a list of demands from about 170 stu
dents who took over the Telecom
munications Building in protest of
Penn State's indifference to minori
ty concerns.
After three years of stalling, Penn
State has wisely decided to put $2
million toward expanding the HUB,
and more importantly, to building
a new cultural center.
The University plans to raise the
additional $l6 million needed to
complete the $lB million dollar pro
ject by lobbying the state and con
ducting fund raisers.
Although the two projects will be
linked financially, administrators
must remember their original
promise and to whom they made it.
Hopefully both projects will be com
pleted sooner by pooling funds, but
a new cultural center is more
pressing.
'lOO-hour budget
Vietnam syndrome has domestic part
In the lightning-quick Persian
Gulf War, President Bush made
sure the mistakes of Vietnam
weren't repeated. Popular support In his budget battle this year,
was raffled, a clear objective stated. Bush should imitate the duration of
Exulted Bush: "By God, we've the "100-hour war" in the Persian
kicked the Vietnam syndrome once Gulf. A "100-hour budget" deal
and for all." would force Congress to make tough
But the Vietnam syndrome decisions or face the wrath of the
includes a domestic component that American people being brought
must also be kicked: a federal bud- down on it by their president.
get that hasn't been balanced since
The preceeding is excerpted from a March
1969, a Congress that stealthily
8 editorial by The News Herald, Panama
increases revenues by slipping new City, Fla. The opinion does not necessarily
programs into 2,000-page spending reflect that of The Daily Collegian.
dn; Collegian
Monday, March 18, 1991
©1991 Collegian Inc.
Editor
Ted M. Sickler
Business Manager
Ty D. Stroh)
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From ties to slogans: Trying to understand USG candidates
If you are not planning to vote in the
upcoming Undergraduate Student
Government elections and are sick
of USG politics, do not read this column.
This is a service-oriented piece about
the approaching elections. Because
many of you out there care very little
for USG politics (probably for good rea
sons,) this column will be an easy-to
read explanation of the poor fools run
ning for USG president and vice presi
dent.
Before I get into the messy details
though, I feel the need to explain one
important point. These are my opinions
based on what I saw at the first debate
last Thursday. I tend to see things very
differently than most people, but I've
never been convicted of libel.
Roger A. Czulewicz / Janine Salo
mone : This is the only ticket without a
neat slogan. Their basic working philos
ophy is the "Administration should
work for the students, not vis-a-versa."
A bit idealistic and wordy, but it might
work.
Here are some of the problems Roger
and Janine would tackle: inadequate
and unsafe parking, misdiagnosis and
understaffing at Ritenour Health Cen-
Clear focus
My Opinion
,40:-. •ri,
iir!
..c,
,
Michael L
Bell
ter, an opened University budget and
improved USG communication.
One bonus for this ticket is the fact
that neither Roger nor Janine have been
tainted by past USG involvement.
A former USG-Seth Williams groupie
told me he would support this ticket if
it weren't for their lack of experience.
But this activist-junkie's head is so clut
tered with neo-liberal chants that he
can't see the real meaning of past USG
participation an open and oozing sore
on a person's political future.
Interesting Note: Roger has one of
those mouth's that is permanently set
in a wry little smile. I'm not sure what
this has to' do with USG presidential
The cultural center is far too
small to meet the needs of the many
organizations that hold functions
there, and while this is also true of
the HUB, the temporary structure
of the center itself is out of date.
During any stage of planning and
construction, the University should
not bypass the African-American
community. African-American stu
dents and faculty must be a part of
the process if the new center's
structure, lay out and interior
design is to reflect the African-
American community and culture.
The center should not be designed
like other University buildings with
traditional European architecture.
In order to make the project suc
cessful student organizations must
continue trying to work with the
administration on this project.
Although the University has
finally put some funding toward its
1988 promise of rebuilding the cultu
ral center, it must make sure that it
finishes what it started.
bills, and a chief executive gun-shy
when it comes to imposing spending
and tax cuts.
filing grievances is available from Gerry Lynn Ham
ilton, executive secretary, Collegian Inc.
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Opinions
C'i:hAWT"G (iIREG:)MIINt'I4)I99I VVIMtINE
Reader Opinion
Hard work obscured
Certainly, as the editorial of Feb. 27 indicated,
more programming can be offered for Black
History Month by the University. Improvement
can always take place. However, while the offer
ings of this year's Black History Month program
may have been less in number than in past
years, the editorial glossed over what had been
done by the University.
The funding for this year's programs came
from University resources such as Black Stud
ies, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, the Pro
gram Development Fund of SORC, and Student
Activities and Religious Affairs. Without those
monies, which covered honoraria, rental of
facilities and equipment, transportation, room
and board for guests, etc., the programs of this
month would not have happened.
The Office of Student Activities and Religious
Affairs began thinking about the idea of a com
memoration of Malcom X back in August and
realized the Black Caucus was brainstorming
about the same. Thus these two offices began in
September to plan the collaborative, three-day
commemoration of feature-length films, panel
diselussions and lectures of Feb. 18, 20 and 21.
With consideration of the theme for Black His
tory Month the panel discussion segment
addressed Malcom's legacy to black women's
empowerment, among other topics.
Also obscured by the Feb. 27 editorial, which
stated that the focus of Black History Month
"has remained almost exclusively on Rev. Ma
rtin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.," was the
fact that no programs in recent memory had
been done at all on Malcom X. Moreover, noth
ing on the official Black History Month calendar
dealt with Rev. King.
Yet it is agreed upon that other deserving his
torical personages and periods should also be
highlighted. I invite the writer of the editorial
to join in on the planning for such programming
with the Black Caucus, the planners of the Black
History Month/Black Arts Festival, student and
administrative groups.
As regards the invitation issued by the edito
rial to faculty and administrators to "play a
more prominent role in participating on panel
discussions" and plan events, some have
already accepted that role.
The aforementioned Malcom X panel dis
cussion included the acting director of Black
Studies, the assistant to the dean of the Smeal
College of Business and the vice provost for
underrepresented groups. Two University
departments, including the Office of Religious
Affairs, appropriately assumed a large portion
of the cost for the overall event and arranged for
much of its media coverage.
As a result, local and out-of-town papers such
as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette covered this
elections, but it makes him look quite
the politician.
Courtney Malveaux / Saul Treiman:
This ticket's slogan is "Penn State, it's
time for you to GET SERVED." I'm
sorry, but this ticket scares me.
As I watched Courtney and Saul dur
ing the debate, these were some of the
words I wrote in my notebook - "the
kick ass ticket," "the mean vote," "law
and order."
When the candidates were asked to
explain their platforms, Courtney and
Saul used a furious tag-team style deliv
ery. Courtney would shout, "Priorities
. . ." and then lash into a tirade about
USG pouring money into radical speak
ers. Then it would be Saul's turn to
shout, "Priorities . . ." And soon.
From what I could understand, these
are their priorities enhancing USG
Department of Women's Concerns with
a focus on improving Ritenour and
more women self-defense classes,
establishing a Department of Student
Finances to provide information about
loans and financial aid and creating a
Department of Academic Affairs to
ensure the quality of class instruction.
In pure political terms, this is the con
014,GEE7...
TREY MADE NIM
A '92-STAR
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servative choice. Courtney is sick of
USG catering to left-wing issues and he
wants to preserve the presence and
growth of ROTC on campus.
Interesting Note: If you are pissed at
the world, vote for Courtney and Saul.
Leslie Osborn / Michael LaFlam:
The "Power of Change" ticket.
The most interesting thing this ticket
had to say was a strange analogy about
USG sitting in the backseat of a taxi
driven by the administration. And that's
where they lost me.
This is the Politically Correct choice
with a grand vision. Leslie truly
believes that her leadership as USG
president will last into the next decade.
That's a tough order even for U.S. pres
idents.
And here are some of those lasting
objectives: creating a Department of
Higher Education Affordability to fight
tuition increases and excessive fees,
gaining more student representation on
University policy-making committees
and initiating comprehensive USG
strategic planning.
Interesting Note: This is the ticket
whose last names go together the best,
at least to my ear. "Osborn / LaFlam"
40: -
.or,d,
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R ITE
event. Also, a radio station in New York inter
viewed the director of student activities and reli
gious affairs about the commemoration. The
interview was broadcast as far south as Ala
bama, leading to contacts with Talladega Col
lege. Talladega requested information on the
Malcolm X event to justify their lobbying with
the U.S. Postal Service for a Malcom X com
memorative stamp.
Also, flyers were distributed to dorms and
campus bulletin boards by the staff of this office.
Due to these contacts and the aggressive person
to-person promotions of the Black Caucus, a pre
dominately black audience during the Malcom
X events also included a sizeable number of
white persons. Their presence counters the edi
torial's assertion that "the specific lack of white
student attendance at these programs is also dis
turbing."
Lest we fall into a classic worst-case scenario
of "the wrong people fighting for the wrong pea
ple for the wrong reasons," let us get the facts
about what the University does for Black Hista
ry Month and with minority students all year
long.
At the same time let us support existing pro
grams. Let us also transcend the luxury of bitter
protest to the higher ground of hard work and
careful planning for new programs addressing
overlooked persons and periods.
The challenge of the Feb. 27 editorial,"Anyone
can talk about the need for equality and peace.
But actions are the barometer of progress," is
a two-edged sword, cutting in the direction of not
only the University but also its students.
Kenneth Clarke
assistant director, Office of Religious Affairs
it just sounds political, doesn't it?
And they have such a neat logo too.
Mark Stewart /Merry! Werber: This
ticket's campaign slogan is the most
interesting and baffling "Creating the
Impact!" It gives me a headache every
time I try to figure it out.
This ticket takes the road well trav
eled for their operating philosophy.
They see the role of USG as "service to
students." I guess that's only right and
proper, but it's so boring.
This ticket's campaign platform is
anything but boring. You better sit down
for some of these: extending meal plan
points downtown, bus transportation to
away football and basketball games,
progressive student health services
(again), 1-800 number for scheduling
classes and a 24-hour computer lab
downtown.
Interesting Note: Mark sported the
most fashionable tie. He wore a crisp
navy and green tie that conveyed the
right balance of power and confidence.
Jim Van Horn / Kim Thorsen: This
ticket's campaign slogan is simply
insane "Fahrvergnugen." All I see
coming out of this slogan is a nasty
copyright infringement battle.
Monday, March 18, 1991
The child within
Being raped would be one of the most horrible
things that could happen to anybody. I would not
wish it on my worst enemy.
However, I must state with clearest conviction
that abortion does not solve any woman's feeling
of trauma, despair or fear. Rather, abortion
compounds those problems with deeper feelings
of being pressured by misguided family and
friends, being financially exploited by the abor
tion clinic, being physically assaulted by the
abortionist's instruments, with additional med
ical complications to follow. All these negative
consequences may occur and all the while you
still know that you have done harm to another
completely innocent bystander the child with
in.
Many people wonder what pro-lifers do for
women in crisis pregnancies. Many pro-life
groups exist primarily bep -+. omen in crisis.
A woman does r. , 4): 7 . eally want to
get an abortion Why. sr e Deejis. is emotional
support, financial staixii:y. :77:edical attention
and a home to live in for as ikl.n.g as she needs
support. If you are in a exist , : pregnancy or have
recently had an abortion and don't know where
to turn, call the local Crisis Pregnancy Center
or Birthright. They're there to help any woman
in need of support. They care about both women
and children.
While I know that no rape victim is responsi
ble for being physically violated against her will,
how much more innocent is the life growing
within her? No, he or she simply becomes the
second innocent victim of rape. How many of us
today know for a fact that we were joyfully wel
come from the first moment of our conception?
I believe a silent, unknowing majority of us were
conceived in less than ideal circumstances.
I was adopted shortly after birth. The only
thing that I know about my biological mother is
that she was experiencing a crisis pregnancy.
That could have been anything: a teen pregnan
cy, single motherhood, financial distress, and
possibly even rape. Yes, I may have been con
ceived during a rape.
Today, 20 years later, while I feel no need to
find my biological mother, I owe her a great deal
I owe her my life. If I ever do meet her, all I
can ever say to her is,"Thank you. Thank you
for giving me the opportunity to live." My
biological mother gave me such an awesome
gift; the gift of life and for that I am eternally
grateful. Without her I would not be here today,
and you would not have had the opportunity to
read this letter.
This ticket promises to: establish a
Student Legislative Action Coalition to
lobby Harrisburg, eliminate USG
bureaucracy, lobby the Board of Trust
ees for important changes and student
control of the HUB.
Van Horn could be the most sincere
candidate running for the presidential
spot. But there's a good reason why peo
ple should look more closely into this
ticket.
In Wednesday's edition of this news
paper, Van Horn announced he will seek
a party nomination in the primary elec
tions for State College BoEough Council.
I wonder what his real reasons are for
running in both elections.
Interesting Note: Van Horn showed
poor taste in sporting a yellow tie, which
fell out of fashion after the October 1989
stock market crash.
These are the choices. When you boil
out all the bullshit, there is really not
that much difference between the five
tickets, except over the sexual orienta
tion clause. But that's how elections are
supposed to be, right?
Michael L. Bell is a senior majoring
in history and a Monday columnist for
The Daily Collegian.
Maria Pardini
junior-elementary education