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CAREY SMITH
Edilor-in-Ghief
Smoking
When it comes to the no smoking rule, we have to agree with the
fellow who said he didn't mind people who smoke as long as they
don't exhale. That's an impossibility of course. But as it’s im
possible to smoke without exhaling, it's also difficult to smoke in
class without offending someone.
There’s long been a rule around here against smoking in class.
It’s a rule that has become a cause celebre in recent months,
especially with the state legislature acting against smoking in some
public places.
Now the cause has caught on here at West Georgia with the
faculty senate recently advocating enforcement of the no smoking
rule in the classroom. But enforcement has been negligible because
those who are offended by the fumes of smoking classmates have
been reluctant to complain.
If you are among those who get sick when smoke gets in your
eves, just speak up a bit. Or, if no one can hear you, perhaps you
could just cough a little louder
Braves on Bourbon St.
Don’t put away those hubcaps and broomsticks yet, fans. The
West Georgia Braves, although defeated by Armstrong State in the
South Atlantic Conference two weeks ago, have a second shot at
going for the national title this year.
Almost like a reprieve from the governor, the Braves received a
bid from the NCAA to play in the South Central Regional this
weekend. The Braves missed bv one shot winning the SAC title and.
for a while, it looked as if West Georgia's season was over But.
obviously seeing the talent of the team, the Braves were invited to
the tournament, which could start the Braves on the road to their
second straight national title.
The Braves play tonight against the tenth-ranked team of the
nation's small college teams, the University of New Orleans, the
host for the tourney. If the Braves win tonight, they’ll play
tomorrow night where a win would put them within two victories of
the national title.
The Braves themselves think they can win. We believe they can.
and probably will go on to defend their national championship. If
the Braves win tonight, Bourbon .Street will never be the same
Ray McConnell
Finance Inaccuracies
Over the past weeks there
have been a number of inac
curate statements regarding
the dispersal of student activity
lees. 1 certainly do not blame
those persons who have issued
these remarks.
(Mr. Orzit in last week’s
“West Georgian” for example.)
But rather, I feel that the
misconceptions regarding these
monies is my fault for not
having desinnnated the correct
information 1 hope this short
note will be the beginning of a
series of articles on the subject
of budgeting and student ac
tivity fees which will hopefully
dispell some of the mythology
surrounding our processes.
The subject of this article
(beginning at the beginning) is
>o show the absolute quantity of
funds available in the student
activity budget.
Approximate figures are as
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AI.LEN GUNTER
Manuring
Kdiior
follows: Budgeting for three
major quarters is $184,000. The
budget for summer quarter is
$37,000. These figures combined
make the total annual budget
$221,000.
The approximate number of
students contributing three
major quarters is 3,422. At $lB
per quarter, the total is $184,800.
Let me add a note of caution
to these figures. These are the
budget projections from last
year - not real figures. They are
averages, because enrollment
varies each quarter and some
students pay a partial fee.
If any student wishes further
information, please contact me
by letter or phone. My number
on campus is extension 437. Or
interested students can attend
our regularly scheduled SGA
meetings on Thursday nights at
7:30 in the student center.
Janice Still
Kindergartens- A Beginning
According to Governor George Busbee, as
long as the Legislature is in session, there is
always hope in Georgia.' Whether or not the
children of Georgia can hope for the opportunity
of obtaining a better education in the future,
depends largely upon the Legislature’s reaction
to the Governor’s proposed state wide kin
dergarten program
Busbee is pushing hard for the appropriation of
140 million in the present budget to initiate such a
program. Many argue that this issue should be
tabled as there are more pressing problems to
deal with. However, you must consider the
future of a young child and that his success or
failure is often based on the quality of education
he receives.
Governor Busbee has qualified his support of a
state wide kindergarten program. He’s aware of
ihe fact that some 8,300 first graders failed last
year. In addition to this, he knows it’s been
proven that over 70 percent of all elementary
school failures occur in grades 1-3. These con
ditions have cost Georgia taxpayers over $13,344
million annually.
This is a high price to pay, but more im
portant is the high price paid by those who never
finish school Most of these kids go on to lives
filled with dissatisfaction and thus become a
burden to society. They are brushed off by
society but the truth is they weren’t given a fair
chance in the beginning.
Most educators theorize that a strong state
wide kindergarten program would give children
a chance to conquer learning disabilitiesearlier
It would cut down on the rate of: retardation,
behavior problems, deprivation problems, vision
problems and hearing problems. It’s a proven
fact that many children don’t receive any in
tellectual stimulation at home, and when forced
Jack Anderson
by Jack Anderson
with Joe Spear
WASHINGTON - President
Ford is still underestimating the
unemployment crisis. TYus is the*
opinion of economic experts who
have been right in the past.
They predict the weakening
economy will dry up far more
jobs than the President seems to
anticipate. The unemployment
rate could hit a disastrous 12 per
cent, they fear, before the end of
the summer.
Unfortunately, our economic
sources have been more aecur
ate in their predictions thar
have the President's economic
advisers. In fact, our sources
blame the White House and the
Federal Reserve Board for
causing the massive layoff.
Last October, President Ford
called upon the American peo
ple to reduce their purchases
and save their money. The
Federal Reserve Board backed
the President by warning banks
to tighten up on their loans.
Suddenly, people stopped buy
ing automobiles and other goods
in the usual volume. Inventories
began to build up. Plants began
to cut back production and lay
off workers
The chain reaction has now
caused massive layoffs and
widespread economic hard
ships. The jobless rate has
already shot above 8 per cent
But this doesn't tell the whole
story. More than 41 per cent of
the teen-agers in the black ghet
tos can’t find jobs And almost 20
Unemployment May Go Up
per cent of our young veterans
are out of work.
Yet the worst, according to
our sources, is still to come.
Deep Trash: Hollywood is
making a movie of “All the
President’s Men,” the book that
tells the inside story of how the
Washington Post broke the
Watergate case. WTiile building a
set of the Post’s city room, the
moviemakers decided they
needed authentic newspaper
trash. After pondering the legal
'HUH HECMT uH. TO HI Ifr
WHEN MO HOPE OF
PASSING TUB EMM gr?‘
to enter the first grade in school many find
themselves unable to cope with the pressures of
learning One can’t blame parents completely
for this condition.
According to statistics, approximately 22
percent of all adults in Georgia never finished
more than eight years of schooling, because of
this handicap they are unable to help Their
children suffer intellectually from these con
ditions. but emotionally and socially as well.
Whether out of necessity or desire, many
children are often deprived exposure to the
outside world. Many are socially crippled when
it comes to handling relationships with kids their
own age.
Frequently a child is thrust into the first grade
and he’s totally unprepared to handling
relationships with kids their own age.
Frequently a child has such an unpleasan.
experience with school, he seldom forgets it. The
truth is that this is the very force behind so many
kids dropping out or quitting school as soon as
the law allows.
What’s even sadder than these facts is the fact
that most parents would like to enroll their
children in a kindergarten program, but haven’t
the funds. The private kindergartens have
helped many children, but sadly enough the
children who really needed the opportunity to
attend have been denied it. No one group is to
blame for this, because afterall, America is
based on the free enterprise system But why
must a majority of children suffer?
Yes, $lO million dollars is a lot of money, but
who can put a price tag on education? Every
child in Georgia deserves the best possible
education, and a well-planned state wide kin
dergarten program is a good beginning
ramifications, the Post agreed to
supply the clutter from reporters'
desks. One irreverant journalist,
however, saw to it that the trash
shipments included publicity
releases about Robert Redford,
who will star in the movie.
Height of Sexism: For years,
women complained because the
FBI would not hire female
agents. Now they are employing
women, but the height require
ment -a minimum of 5 feet 7 in
ches -- excludes many capable
females from becoming agents.