Thursday, September 6, 1990
The Collegian
Published weekly by the students of Behrend College, Erie, PA
Editor
Todd J. Irwin
Business Manager
Christie Redmond
The Collegian's editorial opinion
is determined by the editorial
staff, with the editor holding
final responsibility. Opinions
expressed in The Collegian are
not necessarily those of The
Collegian or the Pennsylvania
State University.
Managing PrfHnr
Mark Owens
NewsEdKor
Lea Gotch
Features Editor
Jen Flanagan
Entertainment Editor
Robb Frederick
Sports Editor
John Musser
Layout Editor
Chris Kocott
Photo Coordinator
Jim Pierdomenico
HMD wOOvCMnnOv
Michael B. Schell
AMERICAN
SCANCER
? SOCIETY
To Answer Your
Questions About Cancer
Call
1-800-ACS-2345
Off lea Managor
David Mahoney
Distribution Manager
Leigh Stanesic
Advisor
Dr. Mite Simmons
Letter Policy: The Collegian
encourages letters on news
coverage, editorial content and
university affairs. Letters should
be typewritten, double-spaced
and signed by no more than two
persons. Letters should be no
longer than 400 words. Letters
should include the semester and
major of the writer. All letters
should provide the address and
phone number of the writer for
verification of the letter. The
Collegian reserves the right to
edit letters for length and to
reject letters if they are libelous
or do not conform to standards
of good taste. Letters should be
submitted to The Collegian
office no latter than noon on
Tuesday prior to the desired
publication date.
Postal Information: The
Collegian (814 898-6488) is
published weekly by the students
of the Behrend College; Reed
Union Building, Station Road,
Erie, Pa 16563.
The Collegian
Martyr hopeful
pleads for coup
by R. M. Prindle
In the beginning there was light. Then came the muck and bureaucracy and loop holes and
accountants and administrators.
Now things aren't so bright.
Penn State is a sports oriented college to be sure, but the games this monolith of secular
education play do not end on the turf or the hardcourt Penn State is also an apt player on the playing
fields of the accounting sheet.
It seems that to stay in good grace with the state, Pennsylvania public schools of higher
education have to keep increases in tuition to 6 percent or under. And Penn State did just that.
Well, sort of.
Actually, Penn State has proven me wrong on one point. I've always said that this University
lacked imagination and creativity to the point of being as dull as a New Kids on the Block single.
Apparently this is not so.
It seems that Penn State's official Office of Tuition Increase is just full of the creative sort. A few
months ago these modem day Edisons did some serious inventing to overcome a dire financial
problem.
The problem; Same as always, get more money from students. Doesn't matter how, doesn't
matter what we will use it for (we will worry about that later,) just get the money, the cash, the
dinero, the wumpum, the big green go getters. And oh yeah, be sneaky about it, make Joe Patemo
proud.
And they definitely had to be sneaky because of the six percent limit the state imposed.
WEAM mmfflTT
The solution: Well, first, let's take the six percent we are entitled to. That is a given, even if we
don't need it for anything per se. Then let's add just a few fees. How about computers, everyone
hates computers right? Let's say $35 computer fee. Never mind if that takes the actual increase up to
7.8 percenL Now, what else? I've got it. I've got it, I have got it. A parking fee. Well raise that 120
percent.
What next? The question burning in my mind is what other fees and creative increase limit
avoiding tactics will come in the next few budget years? Don't get me wrong, I could guess. I could
get crude and hypothesize on what fees are being discussed in the office of Get-All-You-Can right
now. I could guess that they're talking about selling restroom keys for $45. Or I could talk about
potential toilet tissue venues outside the doors. Or how about electricity fees, or a toll gate into each
class room, or maybe a tax on each word of a term paper, but I will leave that to your imaginations.
I am not saying that tuition has no reason at all to increase. Prices go up, Penn State expands.
Granted, since I started attending this campus some four years ago I have seen an increase, a
substantia] one, each year. And I haven't seen anything get all that much better, but that is not my
main complaint.
I am complaining about deceit and mendacity.
Tell the truth PSU. Yes it is cute to use loop holes and I'm sure all the Penn State budget people
have been smiling up a storm about their coup, but come on. Don't take the easy way out. If you
absolutely cannot make the six percenL then lobby the state to give larger increases, but stop
playing with your numbers.
Fifty-five dollars is too much to pay for parking. A 25 percent increase intuition is too much for
the span of only the last four years.
But the funny thing is this isn't really the administrations fault. And it isn't the state's fault. Hell
this isn't even Saddam Hussein's faulL
This is the student body's fault. It is our fault
The really funny thing is, if we, as customers of Penn State's Knowledge Restaurant and Lounge,
would refuse to pay the fees, guess what? Guess what? Guess what?
There would be major chaos. Big problems. What could they do if no one paid the extra thirty
bucks to park? What would they do if no one paid? They would threaten us. They would threaten to
hold diplomas, but they wouldn't because if they did they would make national news in a very bad
way and they wouldn't want to do thaL would they? Ronald Reagan is no longer president. Beating
down the masses is no longer in vogue.
Time would be a compromise. Rates would come down. Probably.
But I am sorry to say that that sweet dream will never be realized because this campus has no
leadership. Sure we vote for student government and commuter council, but they are always a little
too busy assigning people to study things and allocating money for the Association of God Fearing
Future Game Show Hosts club to worry about leadership.
Well, I'm not paying the new and improved parking fee. Screw them and screw me because I
know that my actions won't change anything. But I have another dream. I want to be a martyr.
So come on guys. If you want to make me famous come after me and don't send me any rent-a
cops. I want the big guys from U.P.
BUT maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I am underestimating the strain on the budget department Maybe
they are doing everything they can short of donating their own wages to make this college affordable.
Maybe....
YEAH RIGHT.
Page