Homecoming grand marshals include war veterans Page 9 A Soviet diplomat responds to his country's crises Page 2 Thomas By JAMES ROWLEY Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON, D.C. Clarence Thomas won Senate confirmation for the Supreme Court last night on a 52-to-48 vote, overcoming explo sive accusations of sexual harassment to become the second black justice in history. With crucial help from Southern Democrats, Thomas will take his seat as the 106th justice, a staunchly conservative successor to one of the court's last liberals. The vote ended one of the angriest, most emotionally charged confir mation battles ever. Thomas said he wanted to put the ordeal behind him. "This is more a time for healing, not a time for anger or for animus or animosity," Thomas said, standing outside his house with his wife, Virginia, under an umbrella in the rain. Anita Hill, accompanied by family members, tells reporters yesterday in Norman, Okla. that the last few weeks has increased public awareness of sexual harassment. Big Ten representatives set for Cheney meeting By LISA LOEFFLER Collegian Staff Writer Although the U.S. Department of Defense stands firm on its policy barring gay and bisexual people from the military, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney will meet with four Big Ten university representatives in November to discuss the difficul ties facing campuses with sexual orientation clauses and ROTC. "I think its very important that we evaluate and start a meaningful dialogue about the problems uni versities face," said University of Minnesota President Nils Hassel mo, who will attend the meeting with Cheney. Indiana University President Thomas Ehrlich, University of Illinois/ Champaign-Urbana Chancellor Morton Weir and University of Wisconsin/Madison Chancellor Donna Shalala will also meet with Cheney. The meeting is a result of a let ter written in June by Purdue University President Steven Beer ing on behalf of the Big Ten pres idents and chancellors. As chairman of the Council of Presidents and Chancellors in the Big Ten Con ference, Beering signed the letter, and the other names appeared after the words "request supported by." "(The meeting is) an opportunity for some university presidents to have some discussion with the Department of Defense," said Penn State President Joab Thomas. But the meeting is not an attempt to change Defense Department policy concerning gay men, lesbians and bisexual people, Beering said. The Defense Department has made it clear the policy is not open for discussion, he added. "We're meeting to discuss the role of ROTC on campuses in general and the daily in by 4 "I guess in so many ways, as I say to my wife so many times, I'd like to thank America," said Thomas, who rose from rural poverty in Georgia to prominence in government. Thomas had been accused by law professor Anita Hill of making unwanted advances and humiliat ing her with lewd remarks a decade ago when she worked for him at the Education Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commis sion. Her surprise charges brought an abrupt halt to the Senate's plans to vote on Thomas' nomination a week ago. Thomas emphatically denied the charges and complained he was the victim of a "high-tech lynching." The nation was transfixed as the accu sations were spelled out in explicit detail and debated in nationally televised hearings. Even while voting for Thomas, Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., one of the two women in the Senate, said "I think a policy change at a national level is forthcoming eventually." Nils Hasselmo University of Minnesota president the tensions that exist at this time," Hasselmo said. But one topic that may be dis cussed is the appropriateness of a ROTC scholarship question that askq for the applicant's sexual orienta tion, Beering said. Other schol arship applications at schools with sexual orientation clauses do not ask that, he added. Eliminating the question would not change policy, but some might say it's a way around the problem, Beering said. If students are not asked to identify their orientation, discussion of the matter may not be raised, he added. Hasselmo agreed that addres sing the scholarship question could be a positive step. And although the Defense Department will not dis cuss a change, Hasselmo said he has not given up hope. "I think a policy change at a national level is forthcoming eventually," he said. Thomas said he did not want to speculate on the future of the department's policy and had no particular expectations for what the meeting will accomplish. s More than 60 colleges around the country have taken steps toward removing ROTC from campus unless the Defense policy changes. Hoops begins! .11:f Midnight court time Page m Collegian votes he will "live under a cloud of sus picion he can never fully escape." Immediately after the vote, President Bush called Thomas with congratulations. Thomas had watched the vote on television at home in Alexandria, Va.. Please see CONFIRM, Page 16. Students disagree on vote By REBECCA FISHKIN Collegian Staff Writer Clarence Thomas' mother may have been jumping for joy last night when the Senate voted 52-48 to appoint him to the Supreme Court, but some University students did not share her elation. "I was hoping that the senators would act responsibly, but they didn't," said Erin O'Les4ry, co-directpr of Womyn's Concerns. "I thought there was a glimmer of hope that•he wouldn't be confirmed." Sexual harassment allegations brought to the Senate by Univer sity of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill were "not substantial enough" to sway the vote, said Lance O'Donnell, College Republicans president. O'Donnell added that he thought more people believed Thomas. "It was complicated," said Peter Stone, College Democrats presi dent. "But people simply can't dismiss sexual harassment." Thomas' confirmation has also put Roe v. Wade in danger, Stone said. "I think it will be pretty well killed," he said. "I don't think the Supreme Court is stupid enough to com pletely overrule it, but they will chip away and make it worthless." O 7 Pary said she is afraid Thomas' confirmation will jeopardize wom en's rights. "I am horrified that Mr. Thomas can tell me what to do with my body after the legitimate possibility that he is a sexual harasser," she said. Please see STUDENTS, Page 16. Report shows University freshmen deficient in math By AMANDA THOMPSON Collegian Staff Writer A recent report on basic math skills by the National Education Goals Panel shows results that would make Pythagoras choke on his theorem. A governor's panel report shows that only 16 percent of 12th grade students across the country scored high enough on a 1990 test to be considered proficient in math. That lack of mathematical skills seems to accompany some Penn State freshmen. Bar bara Townsend, University coordinator of basic skills, listed math as a common area of defi ciency. "Math tends to be the place where more deficiencies show up on a national average," Townsend said. More than 1,500 out of the 11,489 Univer sity freshman enrolled in the fall of 1989 tested deficient in math, according to a 1990 report by the University Faculty Senate basic skills subcommittee. Mary McCammon, director of undergrad uate studies for the department of math, said because students have different ways to ful fill their high school requirements, it is hard to rank them all by one standard. "In one test it's very difficult to measure what mathematics people know because they take very different courses," McCammon said. But McCammon said the varying require ments often result in students lacking some skills used on entrance exams. "No one's impressed upon them that they really need these skills," McCammon said. Fay Jester, coordinator for developmental year mathematics, said students sometimes need to review topics for their majors. "Certainly there are a fair number of stu dents who enter the University here whose skills are not good enough to allow to go to techni cal majors without a lot of remedial work," Jester said. David Rothermel (senior-mechanical engi neering and liberal arts) said he wasn't pre pared for some of his math classes. "To go back and reread it takes an awful amount of time, whereas if you would learn it Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Virginia talk to reporters in front of their home The Senate voted 52-48 yesterday in favor of approving Thomas' nomination. Analysts still worry about Thomas By MIKE ABRAMS Collegian Staff Writer Lingering doubts on Clarence Thomas' qualifications and more importantly, his character —haunt some University analysts in the wake of the controversial Supreme Court nominee's narrow confirmation last night. "I'm afraid he might act in a more conservative way after these pro- Erol McGowan (senior-math) tutors Krista Nelson (freshman-business) at Sproul Lounge study center. McGowan helped Nelson with her Math 140 homework on Sunday night. in class ycu would be able to do better on the exams," he said. Freshmen entering technical majors should be able to start with math 140 or. 141 both calculus classes and those chooing non technical majors should be able to start with Math 17 or 35 finite math and general math view, Jester said. But there is no specific required course regiment for students who miss the cutoff point, Townsend said. "Math requirements are so different from major to major it would be very difficult to tell a student you are required to take Math 4," Townsend said. "There's such a wide variety of ways to fulfill this." The number of students using tutors has been increasing steadily for several years, said Bernie McCue, coordinator of the math center and math instructor. The number of math tutoring sessions from the fall of 1988 to 1989 increased about ceedings," said Ann Greeley, assistant professor of counseling psycholo gy. "He seemed like such an angry man toward the end of the hear ings and I am fearful that he may not be totally fair with issues con cerning women." The Senate voted 52-48 last night to confirm the 43-year-old appeals court judge from Georgia. The vote was the closest in 110 years. Despite allegations that Thomas Weather Improving on the outside. For today, early morning fog and clouds giving way to afternoon sunshine. High 53. Tonight, mainly clear. Low 36. Tomorrow, partly sunny. A milder high of 60. Todd Miner Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1991 Vol. 92, No. 71 16 pages University Park, Pa. 16801 Published independently by students at Penn State ©1991 Collegian Inc. sexually harassed former aide Anita Hill, support for the embattled nominee remained just strong enough to make confirmation possible. During the past week, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard argu ments from both sides about the allegations often drawing deep seated emotions. "Throughout his testimony, Thomas didn't seem to demonstrate sensi- Please see FACULTY, Page 16. 40 percent, and rose about 9 percent from the fall of 1989 to 1990, McCue said. While most students visit the center with problems in algebra and calculus, some have basic deficiencies involving whole number, fractional and decimal computations, McCue said. Word problems also prove difficult for students, McCue said. "You just get the feeling from here, they don't deal with them very much," he said. Although the freshman testing, counseling and advising program detects students with weaknesses, many students lacking skills can slip through, McCue said. "A lot of them kind of sneak thrqugh the cracks," McCue said "I don't think that (freshman testing) weeds out the ones that are deficient in these basic skills." Sproul Hall, Hammond and Boucke build ings have areas where students can receive tutoring, McCue said. AP Laser Photo Collegian Photo/Patti Christian
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers