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Editorial
Students need
alternate daycare
Behrend's administration has taken a series of steps
towards establishing an on-campus daycare center, but
somewhere along the way it lost sight of who it is trying
to help.
Both students and faculty/staff members would use a
child care service, but students have the greater need.
There are discrepancies between the concerns of the
faculty/staff and those of the students, such as cost and
type of child care services provided.
Since most student-parents aren't able to work full
time while in school, they cannot afford the commercial
rates for child care that would exist under the
administration's proposal.
The administration has limited the students’ options
for child care on campus. While there will be a
commercial service on campus, the administration has
ruled out the possibility of a co-op program. With a co
op situation student-parents work as sitters in proportion
to the time their child spends there.
A commercial child care service is definitely a step in
the right direction for Behrend, but to meet the needs of
all involved groups, both programs should be put into
effect.
In a study conducted by Behrend's child care task
force it was found that 54 percent of students with
children would definitely use a child care facility on
campus, while only 18 percent of faculty/staff members
with children would use the service.
This would indicate that the students represent the
greater need by numbers alone. Even if the numbers
were balanced, shouldn't the students have at least an
equal say in what services the College provides? They're
paying to be here, not getting paid tcfbe here.
The Collegian
Published weekly by the students of Behrend College, Erie, PA
Editor
Todd J. Irwin
Business Manager
Christie Redmond
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is determined by the editorial
staff, with the editor holding
final responsibility. Opinions
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State University.
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pvmooooravwor
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Leigh Stanesic
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Dr. Mke 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
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should provide the address and
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Collegian reserves the right to
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published weekly by the students
of the Behrend College; Reed
Union Building, Station Road,
Erie, Pa 16563.
Hie Collegian
inion / Editorial
Ffersian Gulf.
Deficit
New professor
encounters
mindlessness
An otherwise pleasant
introduction to Behrend took an
unfortunate turn during my first
week of teaching. The "welcome"
took the form of racial slurs
yelled at me from two different
dormitory room windows on
campus.
I was saddened and angered
over the incidents, but not at all
surprised. I am not one who
seeks out, or relishes,
controversy. But, I realize that
the implications of what occurred
belong to all of us.
It is delusion to think that
Behrend is a cultural oasis, safely
tucked away and immune from
the distasteful realities of racism,
sexism, and prejudice. We reflect
the larger social structure within
which we live and are not
separate from iL
The aftermath of the Reagan
years left us with a new coping
mechanism for dealing with these
troublesome social issues,
namely, denial. Hence,
professors, both the sincere and
insincere among us, who address
the issue of "diversity" (the new
catchword) in the classroom are
perceived as giving lipservice,
doing what is "politically
coma".
Racism and sexism are alive
and well in America and will not
go away by merely thinking it
does not really apply to us.
I am not writing this letter to
scold, lay blame, or bemoan the
incidents. I am not addressing
this issue to appeal to your sense
of morality. Your moral values
and beliefs are your business.
But, I do issue a challenge to
your intellect and your reasons
for attending an institut*"" ~ r
hiB lTisThun»an characteristic to
classify things and people, to
create categories to help manage
and make sense of the world.
However, when we create
categories we lose information
and distort reality. The fewer
categories we make, the more we
distort
At its simplest level we
construct two categories to
construe people and events (good
bad, right-wrong, black-white,
we-them, etc.). A prominent
psychologist Ellen Langer, refers
to two-category thinking as
"mindlessness". Two-category, or
dichotomous, thinking is bom of
ignorance and an absence of
critical thought
When we include people in
this system of mindless thought
the seeds of prejudice
(prejudgment based on distorted
assumptions) are planted.
Significantly, dichotomous
thinking (with its reality
distorting tendencies) is also a
major factor associated with
maladjustment and a number of
emotional disorders (see the
works of Aaron Beck).
Hence, prejudice reflects
ignorance. It is the domain of the
simple-minded. My challenge to
you is to rise above and grow
beyond mindlessness, to think
critically, to experience new
things and people who are
different from you, and to expand
your ways of thinking. Isn't this
why you came to Behrend?
The destructive elements of
prejudice affect each of us, not
just certain groups of people. It
has implications for your mental
health, education, and the place
you take in society. Racism is
not merely an annoyance. When
it is acted out, racism can kill.
What happened to me were
not isolated events. They were
explainable and predictable. The
college administration became
aware of the incidents and wanted
to intervene on my behalf, but
respected my wishes not to do so.
I do not know the people who
were involved, but if you are
Thursday, September 13,1990
The -two leaders hava
readied an a<rtro-
-'Ufe a butimer”..
reading this letter I offer an
invitation to join me for lunch
(I'll buy). In this way you could
learn to see me as an individual
and not a category or stereotype.
We would both be the better for
it. In fact, I extend an invitation
to all of you who read this letter
to talk with me. My door is
open. (West Carriage House 8,
extension 6238)
You won’t
believe this,
but...
I am a prisoner on death row
at the Arizona State Prison, and
was wondering if you would do
me a favor. I have been here for
over fourteen years and have no
family or friends on the outside
to write to.
I was wondering if you would
put an ad in your campus
newspaper for me asking for
correspondence. I know that you
are not a pen pal club or anything
like that, but I would really
appreciate it if you could help
me.
Death row prisoner, Caucasian
male, age 44 desires
correspondence with either male
or female college students.
Wants to form a friendly
relationship and more or less
exchange past experiences and
ideas. Will answer all letters and
exchange pictures.
Prison rules require your full
name and return address on the
outside of the envelope. (Box B
-38604, Florence, AZ 85232)
Thank you,
Jim Jeffers
Til tell you what, whoever
can produce a letter from
Jim that explains why he's
in jail will win two free
movie passes from The
Collegian. No joke.
Dr. Michael Iduyama
Assistant Professor
Psychology