Thursday, October 18, 1990
Letters to the Editor
(continued)
Double...
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feel that our performance degraded
ourselves and sororities in
general, I am not angry. I am
saddened by your tunnel vision
and your ability to pass
judgement on those who are your
equals. In truth, your attitudes are
the ones which will propagate the
inequalities that women have just
begun to eradicate.
Dana Fletcher
9th semester
Biology
Don't Rush it
Reading last week's
entertainment section, I was
pleased not only to see a review
of the new Rush CD, but also
that it was a favorable one.
However, I believe that the
following statements from the
article require clarification or
correction:
1. "...Rush made the
transition to more catchy FM
radio oriented songs..."
From this statement, one
might deduce that Rush decided to
write songs aimed at getting radio
airplay. To the contrary, all of
the changes in Rush's music have
been motivated purely by the
band's dedication to their personal
growth and progress. In a radio
interview, Geddy Lee
(bassist/vocalist) stated that Rush
writes music that they think is
"exciting and good" and hope that
their fans will feel the same.
2. "...[Rush recorded] albums
more concerned with political
issues."
In an interview following the
completion of the album Grace
Under Pressure, Rush's lyricist,
Neil Peart said, "I've never
written anything political. I'm an
apolitical person, really." To this
day, Rush has not written any
songs concerned with politics.
3. "...[Rush wrote) two songs
about nuclear war..."
Rush has never written a song
about nuclear war. The song
"Manhattan Project" (on Power
Windows, by the way) deals with
the development of the atomic
bomb only as a means to express
the irreversibility of an important
decision and its consequences.
4. "...[Rush expressed] their
worries of greed in 'The Big
Money.'" That song (also on
Power Windows) doesn't concern
greed, but rather power (whether
from wealth, fame, or religion)
and how it can breed corruption.
I urge future reviewers listen a
little more carefully to bands'
lyrics before deciding upon their
messages, if any.
Christopher Downs
6th semester
Engineering
The Collegian
Cold War leftover
poet to resign post
(CPS) A remnant of the
darkest days of the Cold War
drove a critically acclaimed poet
to quit his teaching post at the
University of Southwestern
Louisiana.
David Romtvedt, whose book
"How Many Horses" was
nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in
1989, resigned from the
university when he was told he
had to sign a "loyalty oath"
before being allowed to teach his
new USL class.
"It seemed hard to believe they
(the Louisiana government) could
ask you to obey every law ever
passed," Romtvedt said in
explaining his decision.
Romtvedt said that while
others at the university had said
the document was "unimportant,
something in me says I can't
make it unimportant."
Romtvedt already had been
hired to teach and was on the
campus when he was presented
with the state's appointment
affidavit, which includes an oath.
A state law passed in 1950
requires all state employees to
sign the oath, which states: "I,
(employee's name) do solemnly
swear that I will support the
Constitution and laws of the
"Bring Your Lunch And Join Us"
United States and the
Constitution and Laws of the
State; and I will faithfully and
impartially discharge and perform
all the duties incumbent upon me
as a State employee according to
the best of my ability and
understanding, so help me God."
Gary Marotta, SLU's vice
president for academic affairs, said
he thought the law was passed as
part of the rabid anti-communism
movement in the 19505, when
politicians strained to curry
ROTC holds Rappelling
Leadership Lab
Behrend's ROTC detachment
held its Rappelling Leadership
Lab on Saturday, Sept. 29.
With the weather cooperating,
68 cadets flew by a CH 47
Chinook helicopter to the rappel
site at Twenty Mile Creek in
Stateline, Pa. The site was
prepared by the Behrend Ranger
Club.
Following the pre-training on
the finer points of rappelling,
cadets practiced on the cliffs
ranging form 20 to SO feet and
MARTY 0' CONNOR
Friday, October 19, 1990
Wintergarden at Noon
Page
drives
public favor by questioning
skeptics' loyalty and inventing
new ways to make people who
disagreed with them "prove" they
did not want to overthrow the
U.S. government.
"Most of the faculty in
general are not even aware they
have signed an oath," said Doris
Meriwether, head of USL's
English Department, because it
usually is somewhere in a tall
stack of papers new employees
are asked to sign.
svme attempted the 100 foot free
rappel line.
Other training consisted of
navigation by compass,
constructing a one rope bridge
between trees and setting up a
Claymore Antipersonnel Mine.
The cadets were treated to a
"delicious" dehydrated MRE
(Meals Ready to Eat) and a cup of
vegetable soup for lunch. The
cadets learned a lot and enjoyed
the exciting training.