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Pa** 6
Thr Red and Klack. Friday. November :io. IS79
Perceptions
A curious paradox
The recently approved revision
of the Regents’ Test policy
presents a curious paradox since
the Regents are currently
involved in an evaluation of the
program.
Why spend a good deal of time
and money on revising a policy
whose basic worth is being
questioned? Why put students
through yet another seemingly
endless series of changes when
the Acting Chancellor of the
Eoard of Regents has instituted a
fact-finding venture concerning
the value of the actual test?
Granted, the revisions do
improve the test, but shouldn't
the time being spent on revision
be spent on the creation of a
more applicable test?
Or the time could be spent
screening the applicants to the
University system to insure their
competency in English before
admitting them to the system.
Or better yet, why not divert
ali this energy to improving the
English programs in University
System schools?
We feel a same need to insure
the value of a University degree.
We do not argue w>th the value
of a good background in our
mother tongue
But acceptance to the
University should insure com
petency. too. Why wait until the
middle of a student's sophomore
year to find out how incompetent
and illiterate that student may
/
be, if indeed the test is a valid
measurement tool.
By the time the various higher
institutions of this state figure
out how to apply the latest
policy, it will probably have
already been revised once more.
Or as one official put it. it will
probably drag itself under.
\
We’re moving
The Red and Black is moving. Miliedge.
That’s right, we’ve grown out
of our old offices and we’re
moving to a iarger location
downtown.
When school resumes winter
quarter the editorial, advertising
and production staffs of The Red
and Black will be housed at 123
Jackson Street We will no longer
be occupying the offices at 309
Journalism Building or 698 S.
The move is the result of two
things: a move toward making
The Red and Black an inde
pendent newspaper, and to
provide needed space for the
newspaper staff.
We think it will result in an
improved newspaper. We also
don’t want people to be
discouraged by dropping by the
office—it is within easy walking
distance of campus.
Memories of JFK
Staci Kramer
It is not easv to find a new and different
way to begin a column on John F.
Kennedy. After all. it's been 30 years since
JFK first became the subject of in-depth
journalistic coverage.
Suci Kramer is a staff writer for The Red
and Black
And in those 30 or so years, he has been
the subject of stories and columns
discussing everything from his first
campaign to his assassination to belated
criticism of his private life. (Even the dead
are not safe from investigative reporting.)
Fie has been written about at great
length by those who loved and idolized
him. by those who saw him as he was. and
by those who chose to see only the negative
aspects of his life.
I never knew him. I can rely only on the
written and spoken words of other people. I
can rely only on the words he himself wrote
and said. Like the others of my generation
this is all I have. Like others of my
generation l am forced to form my opinion
only by using the opinions of others for
guidance.
We have pictures of a grinning and
exuberant man sailing and playing touch
football We have pictures of the youthful
war hero. We have pictures of a thoughtful
man looking out at the world from an office
that had been the home of many thoughtful
men.
And for many Americans coming of age
in the late ’ 7 0s and early HOs. our first
memories of television are pictures of this
man's assassination and his funeral. Some
of us can even remember the assassination
of Lee Ffarvcy Oswald, another televised
event.
I know that my first real memory is of a
woman dressed in black standing with two
small children. I remember the horse with
the boot turned backwards in the stirrup
and I remember the Hag. I remember my
mother feeding my little brother and crying
into his baby food as the procession slowly
made its way to Arlington Cemetery, his
final resting place.
Perhaps these first memories are the
cause of my ‘'obsession ,, with John
Kennedy, pet haps these are the reasons 1
feel the need to believe in a man deserving
of all this mourning.
The idealist in me wants to think of
Kennedy as a hero riding forth into the '60s
guiding his people to all that is good and
right I want to think that if he had lived,
the struggles of the '60s would not have
happened. I want to think that if he had
lived he could have done more than his
successors to lead our nation.
In other words. I'd like to have a crystal
ball that would tell me things would be
better and different today if he had lived.
Some people see his violent and
untimely death as the domino that set off
the violent chain reactions of the decade
that followed. Others see n as a symptom,
rather than the cause of the disease.
Some see it as the cause of disillusion
ment. of apathy, of the lack of faith and
hope that is characteristic of the last 16
years.
John F. Kennedy, despite all the
criticism, despite all the gory details being
unearthed about his private life, was still
the last man to earn the devotion, faith and
love of a majority of Americans.
The young people of America loved him.
Fie was a breath of fresh air. a president
whose youthful exuberance matched their
own.
They disregarded the critics who
accused him of buying his wav into office,
they disregarded his religion, they put him
on a pedesta' tFiaTfew men are ever placed
on. -
Media and his charm made him the first
real superstar. That Kennedy smile and
tousled hair made America reach out and
claim him as her own.
And when he did wrong, thev loved him
still.
He was the first president my parents
ever voted for and I don't think they have
ever believed so much in anv at the men
they have voted tor since.
Rude little brats
I don’t think they ever again had so
much reason to believe in someone.
When that sniper’s bullet took the life of
John Kennedy, it took America's youth as
well. America became middle-aged over
night.
When I think of Kennedy’s impact on
people I'm reminded of Mary McGrory’s
comment to Daniel Moynihan after the
funeral. "We’ll never laugh again." she
said. Moynihan replied. "Heavens. Mary.
We'll laugh again. It 's just that we'll never
he young again."
America can laugh and some of America
has forgotten and some of America will
alway s vainly dream for a fulfillment of the
Kennedy promise, but America will never
be voung again.
For one brief shining moment America
believed that idealistic dreams could come
true. Now all wc have is the cynicism that
comes from seeing dreams fail apart, the
disillusionment reality brings.
And memories that will remain bright
in the minds of most who ever believed that
he could make those dreams come true, no
matter how hard others try to tarnish them.
Memories of that one brief shining
moment.
Neil Williamson
I’m sitting in the library as 1 write this at
4:40 p.m. on a gorgeous Mondav after
noon. Those of you who know me are
probably saying. "It’s a beautiful day and
Neil is not out on some deck scoffing
beers? Is he sick?" Those of you who know
me better are saying. "It's past 10 a.m.
and Neil is not wolfing down brew skies? Is
he dead?" Well, neither.
Neil Williamson is a senior In the College
of Arts and Sciences
You see. it is the last week of school
when all the papers, reading, and studying
that have been put off for a whole quarter
may be put off no longer. Procrastination is
not a virtue as I’m sure many of you will
attest to. However, when offered the
choice between a weekend in Florida or
statistics homework, and a weekend in
Chicago or speech writing, and a weekend
on my butt or music appreciation, you can
bet on the former in all three cases.
So what am 1 doing writing my column
now instead of figuring out the confidence
interval for sigma squared? I'm too dang
distracted to get any work done. What,
pray tell, is holding my attention so
fervently in the library?
It's not all the beautiful women. I’m a
senior, so I'm used to living in 24 hour lust
in this town. It’s not the tickle in my throat
Letters
L
that makes me cough every five seconds. I
have been smoking for so many years that
I'm used to my pre-Christmas hack. It's the
stupid little table of teeny-boppers sitting
in here giggling, snorting, and spitting all
over the table behind me. They won’t shut
up!
About four of them, with no sense of
respect for anyone else, have been chewing
the fat for close to 45 minutes, non stop. As
George Carlin says. "Suppressed laughter
is the hardest to contain." In places like
libraries and funerals especially. Let them
go to a funeral, perferably each others. I’ve
got exams next week.
This incredible rudeness is a common
occurrence this time of year. Since my
freshman year 1 have found that moving to
another section of the library doesn’t help.
As a matter of fact. 1 have moved three
times today. Three different floors!
Alas, these desks of dummies are
everywhere yakkitv-yakking up a storm.
Why can’t these girls (and guys in some
cases) do that crap in a bar. or in the
lounge. It is just not fair to the
semi-conscientious to be bothered by the
babbling when this is an institution of
higher learning.
I have an idea though. You figured that
much, didn’t you?
Why don’t the librarians give people a
fair warning, like. "Shut up or I'm gonna
give you the boot."
What happens when people are studying
together aloud? Maybe one or two floors
may be designated for those who must
study together for a project and such. Even
the people who like to go in and whisper
occasionally aren’t the problem.
It is these rude little brats that send me
into fits with their, "Guess who Jane went
out. with last night?" And other earth-
shattering news like. "Grunt, smlph. oh
John you are so funny, snort, xlmf." And
the everpresent. "I got soo drunk last
night."
Enough!
The library has guards sitting around
checking books cs you leave, right? There
are usually two or three or four, right? Why
not hire one more and send him or her with
one or two of the others around to keep
people quiet?
Cheeze, cochise. the library is a sham
when studying can’t be done there.
I hope a point has been made that may
get some action by exams, or at least by
next quarter. And I’ll see you then.
Happiest of holidays and just a reminder
that when some jerk pulls into the parking
place you were tearing to at the mall next
week—just shake it off. No obscenities,
and no gross gestures. You know who is
watching closer than ever this time of year,
and 1 don’t mean Fred Davison. Shalom.
‘Threat to integrity of our country’
TO THE EDITOR:
The current Iranian impasse is a serious
threat to the integrity of our country. To
what extent should the leaders of this
country go to defend its integrity against
such belligerence? For many, the adequate
answer lies in the Indian Ocean about 600
miles south of Iran.
"The largest congregation of naval
defenses in the world." as one presidential
advisor puts it. "is now taking place.”
Would a major military action be the
smartest thing to promote?
Perhaps we could avoid the ultimate by
trying a few tactics which were helpful to
us during World War II. Good neighbor
policies were enacted to insure that U.S.
republics would stick together.
Another possibility so far not tried with
Iran is a blacklisting of unfriendly
countries. In the present case, any country
trading with Iran through use of goods
obtained from U.S. markets would be
blacklisted. Trading with these people
would be forbidden to American firms.
Not seeing the situation from a political
view point. I wouldn't say if these tactics
would be useful against Iran. However, in
analyzing the situation I would think we
should weigh the consequences with the
alternatives.
Would all American people indeed stand
together and fight willingly? Has the U.S.
undergone enough humiliation to justify an
action no less belligerent than those of
Iran? Have wc considered the external
effects which would be shared among our
friends if such a war obliterates a major
oil-producing country for the world?
1 hope President Carter isn’t bluffing
with our navy, but I also hope he has the
opportunity to utilize all of the means of
negotiation to their fullest extent before
creating another problem—what to do with
a destroyed Iran.
ALANINGLEY
‘Students can’t
afford prices’
TO THE EDITOR:
I’m tired of it! Every time 1 turn around
the price of alcoholic beverages is going up
in this town. It wouldn’t be so bad if local
prices were in line with surrounding areas,
but Athens has the highest prices on
alcohol I’ve ever seen in the whole state.
If this is not enough, our beloved Athens
City Council has raised liquor license fees,
which will cause prices on beverages to be
even higher.
I think the Athens City Council is taking
advantage of students by imposing such a
large increase in fees for a license to sell
our much needed beverage.
They are overlooking the fact that most
students live on fixed or low incomes and
are not able to afford these higher prices.
These higher prices are being passed on to
them by store owners who arc forced to pay
higher license fees in order to operate.
The increase is not due to a local
alcoholic rehabilitation program, it is a 28
to 33 percent increase in liquor license fees
to meet a deficit in the city budget. Why
should we be made to pay for the city’s
inability to budget properly? Why can’t the
city make a small increase in all license
fees instead of singling out one type of
business to carry the burden?
I tell you. the city council is taking
advantage of the great demand for alcohol
in this city!
WALT MILLER
‘Allow students
cost reduction’
TO THE EDITOR:
In the wake of the recent controversies
concerning the athletic department with
regard to student seating for football
games and charging admission to sit on the
bridge, another problem has arisen. This
time the problem applies to basketball.
specifically the Georgia-Kentucky game
scheduled for Dec. 17 in the Omni in
Atlanta.
Since the date of the game falls during
the Christmas holidays. Georgia and
Kentucky officials got together and moved
the game to Atlanta. The primary
reasoning behind the move was that since a
majority of students live in the Atlanta
area, the game would be better attended
than if in Athens.
There is also hope that NBC will carry
the game on national television, thus
giving the team some national exposure.
There is nothing wrong with this. In fact,
we being fans who haven't missed a home
game in two years other than those over
the break, hope the team does get the
exposure.
The problem is that Georgia students
have to pay the same ticket prices as the
general public. There is no charge for
students to see the game in Athens. We
therefore question whether or not this
majority of students will pay the necessary
$4 or $6 to set the game when they will be
able to see the team a dozen times for free.
Wc furthermore feel that these prices will
curtail students who would drive to Atlanta
to see the game.
Undoubtedly there is a cost to play in the
Omni. However, part of the student
activity fees go into letting the students see
the games free. This plus the possibility of
television should allow students at least a
reduction in ticket cost.
The athletic department has also
scheduled games in the Omni with other
nationally ranked teams in the next few
years. While it is too late to change the
policy now, we hope that this situation
won't be allowed to reoccur with those
games.
ERIC STERN
STEVEN MCKNIGHT
‘Thanks for
your help’
TO THE EDITOR.
With the cooperation of the Social Wort
Club, the Student Health Advisory
Committee, The Red and Black, and
several local merchants, a very successful
"Great American Smokeout" was held on
the campus Nov. IS. First National Bank.
CAB Bank. Athens Bank and Trust,
Athens Federal Savings & Loan. Bells
Food Market. Bestmart. and Bulldog
Sporting Goods all contributed with no
hesitation, and The Red and Black gave all
the coverage we requested.
MRS. REID PARKER
American Cancer Society
Staff
II Krueger
F.seeuUv* edMar Gary Forts
(4wrti manager: Slave CrabiU
VgverUsWg manager Linda Spikes
l«py r«un Tom Kelley Jodie Powers
Brian O'Shea
Skip lluiett
liar Ingrid Schorr
Bobbv H>rd
: C Tail** Nurnally 111
r Norm Reilly
tftrmar Charles Russet!
mpus rdMarx < buck Rea- - Catherine R
Assistant cUy ertlur% Tim Bonner Salytm Boyles
Assistant restare* editor Scot* Jacobs
■ : Robert Holland
i Larry ('irtchall
Don While Ed U*ge
Wire editor Lewis Patterson
lt.\ ludav coordinator Tammy Savage
Editortal aimiani Nancy Nethery
Production manager Wendy Witouski
\dverasing representatives Johi. Raker lee Thiffev lu'’e FV*rher Michelle Newberry Dnua Pradat Li/ Wilson
\dv erasing assistant Sally NaHev
Classified adxerasing manager Oins Wills
Production S»«un Turner Kenny York Tern Ed«ar Nit- Birmingham Kathy Hughes
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