I WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13, 2000
THE DAILY
Patricia Tisak
Editor in Chief
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Park dmpus. The Weekly Collegian is
Loop accident
as safety reminder for PSU
As State College and the universi
ty communities continue to expand,
more people than ever fill the
streets and sidewalks on their daily
commutes.
On such a "pedestrian friendly"
campus, however, last week's crash
involving a motorcyclist and a
crowded Loop bus only proves
there is nil tch room left for brush
ing up on driving and pedestrian
safety skills.
With such a great number of
pedestrians strolling about town,
students sprinting to class, com
muters by ing to beat rush hour and
bicyclists IA eaving through traffic, it
is easy to see how the numbered
roads of a small town can get con
if,csted. Bt t the problem is easily
1e , . - iated when all parties involved
are completely aware of their sur
roundinvs.
iototists need to keep in mind
hat rolling through stop signs or
jumping tile gun on green lights
may not be the best of ideas when
so many people are reading the
newspaper, are in a hurry, or are
simply oblivious to the obvious dan
eer they put themselves in.
Awareness of even the slightest
traffic changes can make every
one's lives much easier by taking
away at least that much of the
opportunity for disaster. This
includes checking for bicyclists
before letting passengers swing
open their doors to exit the vehicle,
Who we are
The Daily Collegian's editorial opinion is determined by its Board of Opinion, with the editor holding final
`IOP.S expressed on the editonal pages are not necessarily those of The Daily Collegian,
Colle
o:,,nnsylvania State University. Collegian Inc., publishers of The Daily Collegian and related pun
_ ,;orate corporate institution from Penn State. Editorials are written by The Daily Collegian Board of
the n+h of the hoard are: Jeremy Cooke, Leslie Craze, Jon Fassnacht, Angela J. Gates, Alison Kepner,
T. Ind Debra A. Yemenijian.
Knight's time should continue at IU
S.A , Rupp
T,, ()osiers are
2oin,s2: to regret
This ono:.
I fow could they let a
1-:;.7i - ifkii - v ct , ich like
;•;.1 , 1 - i,', Knight go? All
did was teach a kid,
who greeted the coach
public with - Hey
knight." some lessons
manners. 'the latest
si? called altt:cation,
which can best be
described as minor, is
in no way serious enough to deserve this
type of respr,
The debate in this entire saga centers
around the zero-tolerance plan outlined by
the university back on May 15. Everyone
knows this 1 7, 1 i, a farce from the beginning.
It was nothing more than a way of protect
big the university's image by saying, "We're
to give you one more chance Bobby,
but you better behave."
Did they really expect Knight to totally
change his coa..thing style that has led to
76:: career vict , cries. even a gold medal in
!i ; 1984 Olympics')
hey make it seem as if Knight just
recently became a cause of controversy in
the sports world.
The truth is that Indiana University has
forever overlooked the fact that Knight has
always been a physically intimidating, fiery
coach. No one on the University Board of
Directors appeared to have a problem with
his coaching methods when Indiana was
winning any of their three national champi
onships, or 11 Big Ten titles. His actions
were downplayed, and he was labeled as a
man with an intense desire to win.
it -z funny how someone's persona can
er..'ause his team has been
IT TqT2j.2
Illfnsirwr; have not won a Big Ten
title !993 and had an embarrassing
early departure from the NCAA tournament
last year in what turned out to be their
worst first-round loss ever. It seems as if
winning is their top priority, and only when
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and that dreaded 15 mph speed
limit on campus, which protects the
swarms of hurried students as they
race the clock to get to their classes
on time.
Bicyclists, too, must be more com
pliant to the rules of the road, as
they are considered moving vehi
cles.
By the same token, however,
pedestrians also need to put forth
their fair share of effort by taking
the time to actually look before
stepping across the street, and even
then, to do so at designated cross
walks rather than at random por
tions of Beaver and College
Avenues.
The free Loop buses have also
created potential safety hazards, as
an increasing number of students
take advantage of the service. As
weather gets colder, this crowding
problem can only get worse. It is up
to bus drivers, then, to follow the set
guidelines and to turn away poten
tial riders when their buses are
already filled with more passengers
than what is really safe.
It is a shame that every year, stu
dents have to be hurt in commuter
related accidents before anyone
takes notice of the grisly situation.
If pedestrians and operators of
vehicles alike would only use com
mon sense and common courtesy,
the incessant problem of roadway
safety would easily begin to solve
itself.
the winning has stopped does the adminis
tration look to act.
I won't kid anyone; the list of complaints
filed against Coach Knight is as long as the
one of his accomplishments. It consists of
repeated reports of verbal abuse, unwilling
ness to cooperate, and actions of intimida
tion.
MY OPINION
The biggest complaint, however, has
always been that he is too hard on his play
ers.
To most of these people I would have to
say, grow up. These basketball players are
attending a top university for free I might
add while being given the opportunity to
play in front of thousands of adoring fans.
Their peers basically treat them like royal
ty.
But yes, there is a down side to playing at
Indiana. Sometimes the coach yells at them,
and even gets in their faces.
Well, I'm sorry to burst many of your bub
bles, but that's sports. I can remember my
football coaches getting right up in my face,
pulling my facemask, and letting me have it
when I would mistakenly jump offside or
miss a block. You just accept it, use it for
motivation, and go out harder on the next
Play.
Players who come to Indiana should
know what to expect. Knight's personality is
highly publicized, just as his constant
"unethical" actions are. They have to be
aware of his famous halftime tirades, or
that he demands 100 percent of your effort
and attention every time you step on to the
court because he wants you to be your best
and he wants to win.
If all these things about Knight are so ter
rible, then why does he continue to get high
school All-Americans every year?
The simple fact is that the vast majority
of Knight's players, past and present,
respect him and admire him as a person
and a coach.
Francine Sadiky
Business Manager
should serve
"The simple fact is that the vast majority of Knight's players,
past and present, respect him and admire him as a peron and
a coach."
THE
A MI DEMOCRATit
)4,Z„.L-s^&• CONVENTION
I, 4 pt i llt t a ,t tt
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Administration should not
raise tuition another time
I've come to realize that Penn State Pres
ident Graham Spanier is a money-leeching
vampire. Why is it that every time anyone
makes a contribution to the university,
Spanier crawls out from under the rock he
was hiding behind to gladly accept it? Why
again is tuition being raised? I don't get it.
Does Spanier and the rest of the university
think that all of us have a "Daddy Money
bucks" back home who can just fork over
tuition?
Now, I can understand that tuition has to
be raised in accordance with the rate of
inflation, but this university raises tuition
faster than the rate of inflation. I also want to
know what is going to happen when the state
does not give all the money that Spanier is
asking for? That's right, we the students are
going to pick up the rest.
This university is the model of inefficiency.
If the administration had any brains, they'd
find a way not to just waste money and make
'running the university a little more efficient
and make it a little easier on us students and
our parents.
CATA should work toward
reinstating Loop charges
I am disturbed at CATA's apparent inabil
ity to deal with the overcrowding problem on
the Loop buses.
Former Indiana standout and former
NBA star Isiah Thomas does not hesitate
for crediting Knight with helping him
mature as a basketball player, and most
importantly, as a man. Other players say
that Knight gives much of his time to chari
ties, away from the spotlight of the media,
and never hesitates to help them when they
have a problem. Some of his current players
even considering leaving the program, an
act of support that truly shows their respect
for their ex-coach.
So, what do these players know that we
don't?
For one thing, Knight teaches them about
responsibility. His program has never com
mitted a major NCAA violation. Also, his
players have one of the leading graduation
rates of any college basketball team. Knight
forces the members of his team to work
hard in the classroom as well as on the
court, and something can definitely be said
for that.
At Penn State, Joe Paterno takes almost,
if not as much, pride in seeing his players
graduate as he does watching them suc-
teed on the field. The same can be said for
Knight
While other coaches allow convicted
criminals or athletes who are academically
ineligible to compete, Bob Knight sticks to
his guns.
As bystanders, it may difficult to see eye
to-eye with his tactics, but no one can ever
dispute his results. These results I'm speak
ing of aren't confined to the hardwood floor
of the Hoosier Dome.
These are the results displayed by all of
the players and students that Bob Knight
has taught, encouraged and inspired along
the way.
Ben Rupp is a junior majoring in journalism and is a
Collegian columnist. His e-mail address is
bsrl3o@psu.edu.
.1 SEE THE ENTERTAINMENT
COMMUNITY Is KOWTOWING
Victor Banks
senior-chemical engineering
This "price cut" led to a drastic increase
in the amount of students who chose to ride
these buses.
This increase in riders led to some major
problems, most obviously an extreme over
crowding of the buses during the busiest
hours of the day, namely right before and
after all classes. I and many of my fellow
Loop riders who do not live on campus have
found it extremely difficult to catch the Loop
out by the Bryce Jordan Center and ride it in
to where our classes or offices are.
After a year of careful observation. I have
come to the revolutionary conclusion that
this overcrowding is dangerous not only to
the Loop drivers who have to deal with stu
dents in their face because they are forced
to stand throughout the ride, but to the stu
dents themselves who, by standing, take a
terrible risk of being seriously injured after
an accident or even a sudden stop.
Last year, when the overcrowding prob
lem came to a head, CATA promised to alle
viate the situation by purchasing new buses.
As of September 12, 2000, I have not seen
any more Loop buses than last year, and the
only thing CATA has done is moved the loca
tions of some of the Loop stops. Not only
that, but the overcrowding situation is seem
ingly worse.
When is CATA going to actually do some
thing about this situation? As a solution, I
believe that they should reinstate the fee for
riding the Loop. I feel that the situation that
prevailed before the free Loop was perfectly
efficient. Students who have parking permits
at the Jordan Center lot or live in one of the
major apartment complexes off campus,
should be given free Loop passes. Those
who live on campus (and are fit to walk)
should be made to pay to ride the Loop.
Knight's coaching tenure
should be left in the past.
By Jesse Norris
Bobby Knight is
out of control.
The list of
lessons people learn
in kindergarten that
he has not learned is
long, and in the
words of basketball
legend Bob Cousy,
"It's time to grow up"
for Bobby Knight.
The problem with
MY OPINION
Knight is that he is
ultra-competitive.
This competitiveness is often transformed
into a violent rage, and rational people in
the year 2000, like Indiana President Miles
Brand, the man who rightfully fired Knight,
do not tolerate physical abuse anymore.
This is not 1930 when, if you misbehaved in
elementary school you might be hit with a
ruler. In this era, any businessman or
teacher who choked a subordinate would
be fired and probably prosecuted.
The era in which Bobby Knight was a
great coach has passed. Knight won his
last of three NCAA titles in 1987. Players
don't bow down to their basketball coaches
anymore, and especially not one who
employs physical violence and intimidation.
The coaches who have won championships
in the last 10 years are the one's who are
"player's coaches" those who develop a
strong report with their players. Just look
what Phil Jackson did for the L.A. Lakers
in helping Kobe Bryant and Shaquille
O'Neil co-exist.
Logically, most players who know they
have the talent to star in the NBA and who
have received special treatment because of
their talent in high school, don't want to
deal with physical abuse from Bobby
Knight. Undoubtedly, Knight has scared
away some potential recruits because of
the physical anger he uses with players.
It's about time he was fired. Apparently
This simple change would decrease the
number of riders immediately and make the
Loop a more convenient and safe ride for
everyone.
For all of Knight's supporters, here are a
few of Knight's actions that might wake
you up from your hypnotized phase of sup
porting Knight. Have you forgotten that
Knight said in a 1988 NBC interview that :
"If rape is inevitable, sit back and enjoy it"? .
And did you lose track of the time when
Knight, according to the USA Today, acted:
like he was whipping a black player in
1992? And the list goes on.
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all the hooligans at Indiana University who:
have threatened Kent Harvey's life (the
student Knight grabbed by the arm this
past Thursday) and who chanted Sunday
for the resignation of Brand as president,
have a blind faith in Knight's legend in
Indiana as a basketball coach and have
selectively forgotten Knight's racist and
sexist actions.
In 1997, Knight was caught on videotape :
choking his player, Neil Reed during a
practice. This incident helped spark a zero ••
tolerance policy that Indiana's Board of
Trustees imposed on Knight (on May 15)
along with a $30,000 fine and a three game
suspension that would have started this
year. This penalty was light. But Knight's :
pattern of abusive behavior continued this :
summer, including Knight's continued fail
ure to comply with the athletic department:
at lU. It was not so much that Knight ;
grabbed Kent Harvey that axed him as it
was the continued pattern of childlike :
behavior. •
How can Knight, the coach of a presti
gious basketball program, expect to walk ;
into Assembly Hall at Indiana and coach ;
with his head up high after he chokes his -
own player? It is sad that some students at:
Indiana say Bobby Knight is a god.
Bobby Knight's era as a coach has
passed and he should not try to coach in
the same archaic intimidating manner
•
again.
Jesse Norris is a sophomore majoring in French
and journalism and is a Collegian columnist. His e
mail address is janlB7@psu.edu.
THE OR ot 4 leig'
p2O 0
Joe McGill
graduate-liberal arts