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Editorial
Students should lend a helping
hand to their own cause
Dr. Joab Thomas, Penn State's new president, visited
Behrend yesterday for the first time since he took over
the University's highest position at the end of August.
Thomas brings a great deal of experience to his new
position, as well as a strong personal conviction to raise
academic standards at Penn State.
Thomas finds himself in a challenging position,
though. PSU has had its share of problems in the recent
past and students are looking for a fresh start and some
quick solutions.
Behrend students had a chance yesterday to meet with
Thomas at a Coffee With the Provost and President and
voice some of their concerns to the new university head.
Students' concerns included the annual tuition
increase that has plagued PSU students for the past
decade, the computer fee, lack of academic facilities, and
prices for reselling books to the bookstore.
All of these problems stem from one root:
underfunding for state schools from the Pennsylvania
legislature. In fact, our state ranks 47 th out of 50 in
funding for public schools. This is simply inexcusable.
It is a step in the right direction for students to express
their concerns to the president of the University, but
there is a much more effective and direct way to fight this
problem. Students' concerns must be voiced in
Harrisburg.
The only way for that to happen is for students to vote
for candidates who include increased state educational
funding as a plank in their platforms.
The average student is from 18 to 22 years old. This
age group has the worst voter turnout of any segment of
the American populace. It's no wonder that students get
little consideration when it comes to funding from the
state.
If students focus their energies into putting the right
people in Harrisburg, our new president will be able to
help the students take care of their concerns more
effectively.
After all, PSU helps those who help themselves.
The Collegian
Published weekly by the students of Behrend College, Erie, PA
Editor
Todd J. Irwin
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Christie Redmond
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The Collegian
inion / Editorial
(ApolojjKs to Matt Owning)
Letters to the Editor
More on Tucker
Among the Nine Members of
the English Faculty who signed
last week's Letter to the Editor,
I'll probably find "long time
friend[s]" and "valued colleagues."
At writing moment, however,
I'm glad I don't know their
identities because the preachy
cot tent and condescending tone of
their letter profoundly disturbed
me.
First, in stating "'Huck Finn'
is an acknowledged American
classic," you fail to mention who
so proclaimed it. I assume you
all teach the virtue of using the
active voice in your classes (I
do). That "many” hail it "the
great American novel” comes as
no surprise. You should ask how
"many" of America's minority
members call it so.
Second, anyone who argues
the merits of "Huckleberry Finn"
without acknowledging its flawed
ending must be more than
"misguided." That the defense of
the book comes from members of
the English faculty, who should
know better, shame us all.
In the concluding chapters.
Twain portrays Jim not as a
human being but as the
stereotyped "nigger" of the
literature of the time. This
description makes anyone with
modern sensibilities cringe and
blush. Anyone who fails to
mention, discuss, or disclaim
Twain's failure to sustain a
(modestly) realistic portrayal of a
jplack American joins the Tom
Sawyers of that time and this
time.
Finally, the Nine Members'
attempts to clarify Mr. Tucker's
motives for him seems rude
beyond belief and reflects some
white Americans' patronizing
attitudes towards African-
Americans. You are perpetuating
the beliefs you claim to disown
in your letter which makes your
argument even more
embarrassing. If you disagree
with Mr. Tucker, do so without
telling him or us "what Mr.
Tucker wants."
P.S. O.K. You used
"acknowledged" as an adjective in
that quote. Sorry. I couldn't resist
the temptation to sound
condescending and preachy
myself.
Monica Irwin
Part-time member
English Faculty
Baffled student
I don't get it. I realize that
operating coats of any institution
like Penn State will go up every
year, just from inflation alone.
Not to mention the increase in
costs of supplies for maintenance
and salary raises, and food costs
go up.
Suppliers raise their prices
every year. So I can understand
that As long as that money goes
to pay for necessary expenses
incurred in the operation of the
college.
I did not pay over $2OOO this
semester to let the college
administration buy half the plant
life in Tahiti, and put it in the
Reed Building. And why is it
there? Because the President of
Penn State is visiting. Now why
spend money so frivolously for
that.
Surely the President of the
university would want the
Thursday, October 4,1990
students to know that the tuition
increase this year was absolutely
necessary for the operation of the
university. Not so they could rent
The Jungle Book when he came
to visit the campus.
This does not show me that
the college is really hurting for
money. Not that they should be.
I also paid, and so did you, a $35
fee for a computer system I
cannot get an account for. That's
like paying your fifty cents at a
pay toilet, and the door not
opening. I don't like that at all!
That is what one may call
fraud. Paying for a service,
expecting to get to use it, and
then being denied it. That's no
way to instill trust in the
students, Mr. President.
Then we get to everyone's
favorite, parking fees. What a can
of worms that is. No place in
this democratic society have I
seen such a sham in my life. We
are told that the parking fees had
to be increased to supply funds
for new parking areas and
improve old ones.
My question is: What was the
other parking fee for!?! Is that not
what a parking fee is for?
Maintaining and improving
parking areas. Improving also to
mean enlarging also? And where
do you get off trying to stuff a
120 percent increase down our
throats anyhow? Oh I know,
because you didn't think we
would stand still for the
originally proposed $8 per
month. Let's just gouge them a
tittle. Maybe they won't notice.
We noticed.
You know, if the city of Erie
had tiled that with downtown
parking, using the same lame
logic of building new parking
ramps, city council would have
been shot There would have been
so much noise from downtown
business, that they would never
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