8 The Daily Collegian Help yourself Petition to Gov. Ridge could help students save money "You need to remind Gov. Ridge and the legislators that if they deserve an 18 percent increase in their salary, then so do you." Marian U. Coppersmith Fred man, University Board of Dustees member While state legislators recently got a pay raise, the University received $23 million less than it requested from the state caus ing a 4.5 percent tuition increase last year for in-state students and an even heftier increase for out of-state students. To prevent the University from wringing out the last penny from students' savings accounts again this year, the student government is stepping up to bat against state legislators. The Council of Commonwealth Student Governments is working with several other schools to sub mit a 100,000 -signature petition to Gov. Tom Ridge requesting increased funding for higher edu cation. But to make the effort succeed, students must sign the petition. CCSG and the other schools hope to collect 100,000 signatures from Collegian Tuesday, Nov. 14, 1995 ©1995 Collegian Inc. Editor in Chief Courtney Calms Business Manager Randy Abrams The Daily Collegian's editorial opinion is deter mined by its Ward of Opinion, with the editor holding final responsibility. Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not nec essarily those of The Daily Collegian, Colle gian Inc. or The Pennsylvania State University. Collegian Inc., publishers of The Daily Colle gian and related publications, is a separate corporate institution from Penn State. Board of Editors Managing Editor Heidi A. Shubilla Opinion Editor Mark Correa Assistant Opinion Editor Kathy Broderick Campus Editor Erin Strout Assistant Campus Editor Nicole Ostrow Metro Editor Jon Feinberg Assistant Metro Editor Amy E. Oakes News Editors Jason Alt, Julia Geis Copy/Wire Editors Michele DiGiacinto, Michele E. Johnston, James Kwasnik, Rebecca Logan, Scott Perry, Nicole Radzievich Weekly Editor Nanette Bitting Assistant Weekly Editor Lisa Haarlander Day Sports Editor Jonathan Bombulie Assistant Day Sports Editor Michael Palm True survival involves more than It seems somehow, at some time, for some confused and no longer discernible reason we have forgotten how to live. We have forgotten what a life is, what a life is for, what our sole responsi bility in this life is. We are alive only to live. Hmmm . . . that does seem like trite, poetic blabber. You couldn't understand with only that. Let me restate: we are not alive to work. Do you understand now? Let me restate again, with the following morality tale stolen from the National Geographic. India, the magazine tells me, is a land very different from our own. It is a less developed land, less civilized, dirti er. The Indians are backwards peo ple. We are advanced. They are hungry. We are, allow me to make this statement, not. But the Indians have something we do not. They have not forgotten. Listen: The Indian man had a good life, a wife, children, friends and a store. Every morning he awoke early, breakfasted with his family, and went to work at his shop. So far across the state and 15,000 from Penn State. By taking a few sec onds to sign the petition, perhaps our tuition won't go up more than $2OO next year. CCSG must be commended for making this effort, but they must also make the petition more visi ble. Currently, the petition can be found in the CCSG office in 217 HUB, and some CCSG members are taking the petition to their classes, encouraging students to sign it there. Booths on the ground floor of the HUB and in heavily traveled areas such as near Willard Building or Schwab Auditorium would certainly add names to the list. Although students might have trouble finding it, the effort to get more state funding shows that students do care enough about their education and are willing to lobby their legislators. And join ing with students at the Universi ty of Pittsburgh and lbmple Uni versity lends added weight to the petition. Now it is just a matter of getting out there and signing the petition. Night Sports Editor Matt Volpi Assistant Night Sports Editors Paige Mundy, Don Wagner Arts Editor Melanie Cox Assistant Arts Editor Davis Schneiderman Photo Editor Jennifer J. Plumstead Chief Photographer Aaron R. Banded! Graphic Editor Matthew Zitelli Chief Graphic Artist Benjamin Scanlon Board of Managers Advertising Manager Allison S. DeKosky Zone Managers Scott A. Boetig, Kevin C. Foster, Audra L Smith Accounting Manager Melinda R. Hennessey Marketing Manager Carrie Elmer Office Manager Beth Eichler Assistant Office Manager Karen E. Shontz Layout Manager Antonia I. Schaefer Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. If a complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, some grievances may be filed with the Accuracy and Fair Play Committee of Collegian Inc. Information on filing grievances is available from Gerry Lynn Hamil ton, executive secretary, Collegian Inc. Letters Polley: The Daily Collegian encourages com ments on news coverage, editorial policy and Univer sity affairs. Letters must be typewritten, double spaced and no longer than two pages. Forums must also be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than three pages. Students' letters should include semester standing, major and campus of the writer. Letters from alumni should include the major and year of graduation of the writer. All writers should provide their address and phone number for verification of the letter. Let ters should be signed by no more than two people. Names may be withheld on request. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters. Emily Pecora this is not an un-American way of life, but it gets better. As soon as my Indian friend had for that day sold enough wares to' pay for the next day's food he closed his store. He left. He went downtown to the baths or to the temple or home. If he sold a large item he would close the shop for weeks or months, as long the money held out. He worked only to earn enough money for survival. The work was to make possible a life. Now do you understand? America is so depraved that we measure the success of a man's life Opinions by his job, the money he earns, how far he advances on the corporate ladder. We base the success of an entire life on only work. We mea sure a man by his salary and his possessions. I think it is obvious that we are missing the point. I know men who, when faced with no companionship or responsi bilities on a weekend go to the office. Perhaps these men love their jobs, you may think. Perhaps their work is also their passion. But they assure me otherwise. They moan for giving 40 hours a week to the company. They moan, but they have forgotten so com pletely that life is more than work that they cannot occupy them selves when given a mere two days for their own. These men can no longer find anything in life which they want to do, so they do what they profitably can, their only alternative to watching television, they go to work. I have a friend who says that we work to buy toys, to make life more interesting, increase our options and freedoms. This is an appealing nif KGB HAS INFILTRATE) TM( MEW YORK YANKEES... Letters to the editor Endorsed student agenda is possible The platform goals established by the O'Brien/Annechini Campaign were realis tic in the spring and are currently very realistic. I am disheartened that USG would go back on the promises WE made to bettering student lives. Our campaign researched the viability of several issues as far back as this time last year. In deter mining the ability of completing all of our issues, it was clear that some goals were long term. It is extremely difficult for any USG administration to start and complete all goals within one academic year. Before any issue was placed on our platform, Kara and I agreed that it was a student pri ority. I was not the only person to pledge to the student body that we would fulfill our plat form. Every member of our campaign, especially our distinguished vice presi dent, made that commitment. Let this act as a reminder to why members of the USG Executive Branch are in office: Ritenour reforms, advising contract, semester dorm contracts, two study days, sexual assault bill of rights, nurse advice hot-line, tenant/landlord council, open teacher evaluations and professor guide book. This list was taken directly from the O'Brien/Annechini campaign literature. These issues are important to the students who elected O'Brien/Annechini. As vice president and now president, it is Kara Annechini's responsibility to follow through with her campaign rhetoric. USG no longer has any excuses for not getting the job done. Kara has built her own administration with people she feels can do the job. USG is great for talking about a problem, but terrible at solving one. By building administrative contacts, researching other institution, and present ing proposals tailored to fit Penn State, USG can accomplish the goals we all know are attainable. Yes, it will take hard work, but USG owes it to the student body. For example, several students voted for our ticket due to the study days plank. Is this attainable? YES, USG must first com pile data that supports its case from other institutions. Then meet with the Provost, John Brighton and the Dean of Undergrad uate Education, John Cahir, presenting "I do not expect us to collectively refuse to work, to lounge bumming on couches all day. I only want the worker to recognize work for what it is, a means of survival, and to survive independently of his job. " theory. There are so many toys to buy, so many ways to spend cash, so many objects and opportunities I can convince myself I want. But 40 hours a week is a horrible amount of time. As only a number I can shrug and think of the fat pay check. But having this past sum mer awaken each and every sunny warm weekday, spent eight hours before a computer, come home with a growling stomach and an aching head, needing sleep, but so reluctant to sleep away the few remaining hours of day, the only hours which are mine, I know the harshness of a 40 hour week. I suffered this summer. What price riches? I can not claim that working is necessarily evil, for it is necessary. ME SOVIETS ARE PLANNING To INVADE AT LEAST SIX them with an outlined proposal on how study days will increase student retention and raise GPA's. They need to show the benefits other institutions have received from implementing study days. The next step is to speak with deans on an individual basis and gain their support. Upon completion, USG should submit the study days proposal to the committee made up of deans for implementation. This project must go to the deans because it would in affect change the calendar, not by adding days but shortening holidays. This is not a one-year project, but can be com pleted in two to three years. Stop com plaining about how hard it is to research and start working on it. Students did not elect Josh Bokee, but if we take a closer look at Bokee's platform, we will find that more of it is being imple mented than the O'Brien/Annechini plat form. (This might have something to do with Annechini's attempt to bring Bokee in as her vice president.) Non-alcoholic programs and fun, free activities are great but not the core of USG. Students voted against the Bokee platform and for our ideas. When USG tells the students in the spring why it is important to vote, they will be sending a hollow message. Why should students vote, when candidates present one platform and implement another? Kara Annechini was elected to implement a platform that is much different than the one she currently endorses. USG must focus on the issues that put them in office. You cannot blame anyone but yourselves for straying away from the platform endorsed by the student body last election. President Annechini can not change the agenda in mid-stream. Do everyone a favor and get back on track and work to implement the endorsed stu dent agenda. Environmental justice message will live on I am writing in response to a tragic event that took place last Friday. As stu dents who have read the major newspa pers or watched the TV news over the weekend know, the military government of Nigeria killed an outspoken environmental and human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, ust work, money If America were to collectively stamp her foot and say "I shan't work" what would become of us? It seems such a country of bums would come to no good end. As my Australian friend said of his laid back country, "the people are hav ing a great time, but the country's going down the toilet." I do not expect us to collectively refuse to work, to lounge bumming on couches all day. I only want the worker to recognize work for what it is, a means of survival, and to survive independently of his job. My father has attained this ideal beautifully. He puts in his 40 hours, but he treasures his hours at home. On warm days during his lunch break he walks away from his place of employment, to see the Corey D. O'Brien former president-USG Tuesday, Nov. 14, 1995 GOROACAIEV IWO ELVIS HAve NEVER BEEN SEEN TOGETNIER,.. along with eight of his contemporaries Mr. Saro-Wiwa was known for his elo quent and prolific writings on the matters of environmental degradation in his home land. The case is that southern Nigeria, especially in the region of the Niger Delta where the Niger River flows into the Gulf of Guinea, is rich with vast oil reserves. These reserves have been tapped since the late 1950 s and have since yielded tens of billions of dollars in profit, especially for Shell Oil, which does roughly 50 percent of the oil extraction in Nigeria. As is typical of many situations, this money is directed solely into the pockets of the oil company and the military gov ernment. The people of the Niger Delta, on the other hand, are left with thousands of oil spills, massive air pollution and once fertile land that is now contaminated and unable to produce food. In the last several years a movement has emerged in Nigeria that is calling for more equitable sharing of profits with the peo ple of the Delta. Ken Saro-Wiwa, a poet, soon became well-loved and respected due to his articulate demands for non-violent change and social justice. The military junta, led by General Sani Abacha, saw him as too threatening to their authority. He was arrested on false murder charges and sentenced to death two weeks ago. Despite international uproar about his sentence and pleas for his release from governments, non-governmental organiza tions such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace, and citizens around the world, Mr. Saro-Wiwa and eight other envi ronmental activists were executed by hanging on Friday. This act is a moral outrage and well highlights the types of flagrant human rights abuses that happen around the world on a daily basis. Amnesty Interna tional will continue to work to create pres sure on the government of Nigeria for them to respect internationally-recognized standards of human rights, such as the right to one's life and the right to not be imprisoned qn\ the basis of one's political beliefs. In closingo,to Ken Saro-Wiwa we say this: your co urage in the face of such adversity is an inspiration to activists the world over. Though you have been silenced, your message struggling for environmental ju§tice will live on. You will not be forgotten. Andrew Miller president-Amnesty International PSU afternoon sky, breathe the balmy air. Do you understand yet? I want you to understand without saying the obvious and poetic things, for sentimental writtrs are so common and so easy to Ignore, brush off, snicker at. I don't want to need say that the point of. a life is to feel: anger, love, hate, lime, delight, dis gust. I don't want to tell you that the point is to notice: that the chip munks and fall leXves mix in one swirling, skipping 4loud of brown; that the moon mime nights is enclosed in a halo old other nights rises orange and huge over the horizon. I don't want to shit that life is only for the joys and the sorrows, for loving a family and a lover, for pacing the night unable to sit still, for chasing dreams instead of cash. But I've said all those things and I wonder if now you understand. Emily Pecora is a sophomore majoring in history and a Collegian columnist.
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