Newspaper Page Text
I
p*s* «
Tti» Red end Black. Tueaday. November 27. I lie
‘Perception
Some goof-ups
Some good news
Somebody goofed up—bad.
Due to somebody’s mistake the
student center, on which con
struction was supposed to start
this quarter, will not be started
for at least another year,
probably longer.
What happened was the
architects who drew up the
original plans for the proposed
student center said it could be
done for $5.5 million. That
included the whole deal, parking
decks and all.
When bids went out, however,
the lowest construction bid was
quite a bit more than the $5.5
million budgeted. Even if items
such as seats in the theater were
cut out, the lowest bid was still
far over the $5.5 million proposal
The Board of Regents, at their
November meeting, rejected all
bids for the student center, citing
the high price tag Following
that decision by the regents,
University and state officials
decided to send the project back
to the architect to redesign the
project to fit the $5.5 million
budget.
Somebody made a mistake,
either in the budget estimate, or
in the budget itself
But the people who made the
mistake will not be the ones who
suffer. Instead it will be
University students who will
bear the brunt of the mistake.
Two things that will probably
be changed, according to offi
cials, are the location of the
building and the parking decks
which were supposed to be
constructed under the structure.
The structure was originally
slated to be constructed in the
parking lot outside of Stegeman
Hall. But apparently, part of the
reason for the high bids is the
cost to prepare that area for the
student center construction.
The two primary areas being
considered present problems.
The bookstore parking lot and
Legion Field are the two sites
being considered as alternatives.
The bookstore location is a
problem, because it would
eliminate a good number of
parking spaces, something the
University is already in sore
need of.
The Legion Field location is
poor because it is to<
too far out of
the stream of student traffic. But
it does seem preferable to the
bookstore location.
Another problem presented by
the delays is inflation. Construc
tion costs are rising at a rate of
nearly 12 percent a year,
according to Dr. Donald
Ratajczak, director of the
economic forecasting unit at
Georgia State University.
Brian O'Shea
It’s nearly deadline and the editor is
getting impatient in the next room,
wondering if I'm going to fail him this last
column of the quarter. I know I'll finish,
but some things just can't be rushed.
•<
Brian O'Shea la campus editor of The Red
and Black
So there will have to be some
cuts made.
All this is happening because
someone messed up and didn’t
get it right the first time.
What it all boils down to is
this: University students, who
badly need a new student center
will not get one as soon as they
should, nor will it be as complete
as it should be, because of some
administrative goof-ups.
Next werk is final exams, the situation In
Iran isn't getting any better, the crime rate
in Atlanta isn't easing all that much. In
short, the news has me pretty depressed.
I had lunch with my good friend Bedford
Buford the other day, and he was pretty
upset about the state of affairs, too. "It's
the media's fault." Bedford told me.
"They cain’t seem to print nothin' but bad
news. And then they act surprised when
these here straw polls show us plain folk got
i the |
no confidence in the president and that the
economy's all depressed and such- Why
cain't you all ever print no good news?" he
said.
At six foot four inches. Bedford makes a
pretty convincing argument no matter what
he says, so 1 decided to give him a chance.
"All right. Buford." 1 said, looking him
square in the chin, "why don’t you find
some good news for us and we')l sec what
can be done."
Bedford filed this report:
"Thousands of motorists did not die in
traffic accidents around the nation over the
Thanksgiving weekend, according to the
National Safety Council. Here in Georgia,
at least 10.000 people did not die on the
highways, the state patrol estimated.
"In International news, all but one
United States embassy is in U.S. hands
today, and the state department is working
on that one. officials said. Downplaying
reports that 49 hostages are being held in
the U.S. embassy in Tehran, a source dose
to the state department pointed out that
dose to 2IS million Americans are still
free.
"The Jeff Davis County fire department
last week saved two cats from trees in
unrelated incidents. In the first incident, a
Siamese cat belonging to Mary Ann Smith
was rescued from a pine tree after being
chased there by a nasty dog, fire
depanment officials said. No details were
available on the second inddent which is
still under investigation."
At last report, Bedford was off dozing in
a corn field. That’s the lighter side of the
news—feather weight, in fact.
THE SERIOUS PART: The calender this
year played into the hands of rity officials,
allowing them to hold last week week's
sperial election just in time for students to
misa it. What they missed was one of the
funniest combinations of bad procedure
and petty politics I’ve seen in a long time.
Under law. fifth ward Councilman Calvin
Bridges had to resign his post to run for
mayor. After Bridges lost to Lauren Coilc
and dedded to run to get his seat back, the
dty council decided the special election
should not be held on the same day as the
November general election. In the thinking
of one lame duck councilman, this might
have confused the voters if they had to vofc
for two coundlmen in the same election.
As it turned out. the two-man no
contest, which cost the taxpayers about
*900, was an exercise in futility. Bridges
was re elected to serve out the second half
of his two-year term. But. it's only tax
money.
Good luck on your exams and happy
holidays.
Letters
‘The president has asked us to be calm and collective, and this we must be’
TO THE EDITOR:
SCOPE. Student Coalition for Peace and
Equality, is a newly created, independent
organization founded by concerned
students for the welfare of mankind.
Through education. SCOPE hopes to create
an atmosphere of concern and hope
through which peace and equality must
follow.
With our belief that violence will do
nothing but prolong the problem, we
advocate adherence to the uniqueness of
the educated man; that is his willingness to
use his ability to reason Addressing
questions of war. racism, terrorism, crime,
nuclear energy and weapons, and pol
lution. SCOPE hopes to bring current
issues to a better understanding through
lectures, debates, meetings, and matches.
The major issue confronting us is the
holding hostage of Americans in Tehran by
Iranian students supported by Ayatollah
Khomeini. This act of unexcusable
terrorism must be dealt with smoothly and
peacefully.
Khomeini ordered the release qf 13
hostages early last week and has repeated
ly said the remaining 49 American
hostages would be tried as spies unless the
deposed Shah is extradited to Iran.
As proponents of nonviolence, we must
support United Nations Secretary-General
Kurt Waldheim in his appeal for an urgent
meeting of the U.N. Security Council to
deal with the Iranian crisis. The Carter
administration has expressed its strong
support for Waldheim’s request.
Mair ‘
ainly. we need to get our remaining
people back alive. There is nothing in the
world that can justify the killing of these
hostages. Nevertheless, they still may be
killed.
It is important that the citizens of the
United States do nothing to provoke such
ar atrocious event. The cries from night
marchers to "Nuke Iran." or even "Death
to Khomeini." serve no useful purpose. If
anything, they may only provoke the
killing. The president has asked us to be
calm and collective, and this we must be.
Negative activists should restrain from
confronting Iranian students here in the
United States. We must all remember the
most important fact of this blackmail. We
want our captive citizens home free and
alive If the marchers attack or even kill an
Iranian student here in America, the
chance of getting our citizens back will be
very, very slim.
We should feei secure in knowing that
our government has put this crisis at the
very top of its list. You need to get with
your friends and neighbors and instruct the
federal government to Handle this crisis
peacefully.
Let not our emotions run our lives and
thus destroy the hostages. If the people
continue to chant for war and bombings,
more than just 49 Americans will die.
If people attempt to understand, then we
will all be on the road to solving our
problems and not just prolonging them.
Only this way can peace and equality come
to this world.
MICHAEL COLLINS
JEFFREY HOPKINS
SCOPE
‘Communism
and capitalism’
TO THE EDITOR:
The government is currently attempting
to rescue the Chrysler Corporation from
financial disaster. In past years, the
government has slowly but surely been
drifting towards the extreme of a totali
tarian state by intervening in the affairs of
business.
A distinguished characteristic of totali-
THE CONTINUING
CHAR15MA-HAN
HE®
WVfr'CO .
SWWHtT
p
. .... M
UffLl AM
lHI5*ff&N6WE0dNfc
1 HE DWpgjTt
jjE AftfM
tarian rule is incentive decay. If the
government comes to the aid of Chrysler,
there is a danger that the result could be an
uncreative and underdeveloped economy.
America was built on a free-market
economy. An economy in which the
productivity was a result of the possibility
of success, as well as failure. Every day
consumers vote in thousands of elections
throughout the market to determine which
goods and services will survive. In the case
of Chrysler, a product that the people have
clearly rejected would be supported by
increasing the tax burden of smaller firms.
The point, in fact, is that the government
will not allow a large company such as
Chrysler to fail if they see it as a possible
source of employment. Although the
government has good intentions, they are
inadvertently helping an old company put a
damper on job creation.
True, thousands of jobs would be lost by
Chrysler's failure and these lost jobs would
seem painful in the short-run; however, the
long-run effects would prove healthy to the
economy by having new-found productivity
poured on the market. As Harper's puts it.
"The attempt to cling to the obsolescent, in
the fear of the unknown, is the surest cause
of job destruction."
The absence of government intervention
can help keep our government from
operating on a "middleground" between
communism and capitalism. William E.
Simon, former Secretary of the Treasury,
said. "When men are left free by the state
to engage in productive action, guided by
self interest above all. they create the most
efficient and powerful production system
that is possible to their society."
The role of government does not belong
in the affairs of Chrysler.
before, but 1 would hope that is not the
purpose in mind. I don’t think that the Lord
has this in mind either.
■ILLY JOHNSON
‘Attack the
pressing issue 5
TO THE EDITOR:
What does it take to get people to act
oftl
around here? I think all of the University is
sick of the arguments between the Greek
and the non-Greek students. It is time the
student body becomes one and attacks the
pressing issue at hand.
This Issue is the Rulla Lenska cover-up.
Why can't we gather together and find out
the facts behind the secret life of this
(cough) woman, isn't there one investiga
tive reporter just hungry for something to
his or
sink his or her iharp teeth Into? Can't
nmeone imagine the glory that would
come from working on a cover-up auch ai
this?
REID HALL
‘Can’t have fun
without sinning’
TO THE EDITORi
The evangelists swooped down on this
campus of sin last week from the North!
Their message wa* simple and direct—
"We are all going to go to Hell."
(University students, of course). They
stated that our campus is a hotbed of
several sins, but this message was nothing
new because everyone knows that the
University is generally viewed in a rather
"party-hearted" manner. One can’t have
fun without sinning!
However, one statement reminded me of
something that the Ayatollah himself
would sty. which should repulse even the
most Christian of students here on campus,
(and if it repulses them, whet are the
objects of their sermons, namely us
sinners supposed to think?).
These Warriors of God disliked the
cnarity drive last week organized by one of
the frats on campus, the Miss Legs
Contest. They said that "this ia how each
sorority advertises their top whore." I have
to udmit that that never occurred to me
§Iqn 7?
ROOcV MTN
NEWS)
mm
V. .
There are certainly enough talented
people who work for The Red and Black so
that one might not be missed to work on an
important topic like this. But, this reporter
should not be new to the game of
newswriting.
Perhaps the choice of Neil Williamson
would be more than perfect for the job. He
hai been reporting on the railroad tracks,
marshmallows, and the weather. This is
more than enough experience to get to the
"bottom" of Rulla.
We need someone like him to stand
behind while he digs for the facts into
Rulla's past experience in the world of
, We should now be sick of cowering
acting.
in the shadows of lies created by the
advertising industry.
If this medium is responsible for 4 f
anything all year. It should be responsible
* "tfttrf
for the furthering of a great writer's career.
This writer should be a person, such as Mr.
Williamson, who speaks the truth. This
person should have the guts and natural
resources to ask, "Rulla Lenska. what is
this terrible game you're playing with
minds of the American public???"
SHAWN G. CLARK
PPi Red and *BlacK
IGA Today rowrdlnstor Tammy Savage
Editorial HiMiM Nancy Nethery
Production manager Wendy Wi'owrski
i John nil
Letters policy
Staff
Uktrllilai representative*
vdiertismg aaalaiani Sally Nalky
OamMaS
iker 1 ar Differ Julia fV»chec M.eh*tie Newberry Doug Ptadal. I.i< WHaon
editors Chock Race*. Catherine Rodrigue
cRy e4Hari Tim Bonner Salynn Boylaa
rd advertising manager Chril Wllla
Han: Sue in Turner Kenny Yirk Tern Edgar. Nlta Bi
led end HUik studem newxpkprr >4 I hr l mxersiiy <4 li
w i'h ihr exiepii'm id rurmwiir pen«dB and holiday*
.niagham. Kathy Hughea
Lew, Mil *• «n««- •• rn««l Tt
l.hr*«. IMIVTUl L*wn
• h, 'Y»rt At ” I**' *
nM
r Med and Black reserve* the rtghMn edit letter* (nr length and
*:
f of the alMnil We can omit your name in print for a
entertainment edHer Robert
Larry Cuuhall
•parte edhari Don White. Ed Lc*de
w. Lrma Paiteraan
Thr Med
Krtday with
In. Ba-hing'.* t.v-rgia Neomd
opinion- etpresiied in The Red ai
Maned column- . artiumists and e|
MepeiM* »«r Th* Had end Black
Slate ne'Minj! and international
The entire (■ mi mi- <4 The Ked
reserved
Subscription rate w lit «i per veai
PR iewnue A then- I- published rursday ihrnugh
permdi and holiday* end primed by Bilke- Publishing Cionpam
i*» (rmage i* paid in Athena Pint Office \lhrns (ie-cgia inn
Black mher than unsigned editorial* an-the •■pmnm* id the writers id
me neieasanly thr** id the l niieraity Administrate* the Ibierd id
a be limned to aa imea
, hr MUrrMT* Tc. chr ••MrTk, I£ .iM
»T*« wMumn* CT—M A"" *"*
Mack Mb Journalism Athena Georgia XH02
ry vMk length held m iio linn
Contacts
• in The Ked and Black i* from ikr wire* id Initial Pro* International
Black are entryngh' ir* Thr Red and Black newspaper All rights
Information available at huomrss 'dines an VW MM
Netr* contributions are accepted by uhphons | dti MS M4I at the editorial offices Jnumaliam Building
1 m\er*M) M Oewrgia IngOrti fdhrecaigg aOwrtlatog *mdd be made at the business offices <tot sc: mu
t •rrrmpimdenc* should be addraaaad »• the appropriate editor at k* Journalism Building l mxsrsity of
Georg*. Athrna. Georgia mat
h'
1