Newspaper Page Text
wM .
Once again the West Georgian has
blazed another trial in mindlessness. It
seems that our “bastion against ig
norance and apathy” is trying to
monopolize the bastion business In'a
staff column last week the newspaper
advocated abolition of Student Govern
ment This is a Byrd-brained idea if I
have ever heard one
Here is a list of the heinous offenses
with which Student Government is
charged: First, Student Government
duties are ill-defined and officers spend
their time thinking of things to do. A
devastating accusation!
Dean Bruce Lyon commented in the
same issue of the paper that West
Georgia has done a great deal more
about its asbestos problem than other
institutions He concluded that this pro
gress was a "result of the student in
terests; the Student Government
Associations work has been influen
tial "
This was one of the problems that we
decided to deal with when we were sit
ting around thinking of things to do. It is
probably a good thing that our duties
are ill-defined Should the duties of Stu
dent Government ever be handed down
from on high, our job of representing
.jML .1 nn***" Ii
The Payneful Truth'—
By Jeff Payne
“Do you believe that sexual inter
course is patently offensive regardless
of how it is presented? ”
“Yes ”
“Do you think everyone in Fulton
County would agree with you? ”
“No, of course not.”
The preceding exchange took place
between attorney Roy Grutman and
statistical “expert” Fred Crawford,
director of the Emory University
Center for Research in Social Change,
in Atlanta on Wednesday, April 22. dur
ing the waning moments of the federal
bout knowTi as ‘Penthouse International
LTD vs. Fulton County Solicitor Hinson
McAuliffe’.
The subject? The controversial film
“Caligula”, a 1980 Penthouse produc
tion chronicling the rise and fall of the
Roman Emperor of the same name in
explicit violent and sexual detail.
Crawford was a key witness for
McAuliffe, who previously failed in an
attempt to have “Caligula" banned
from the United States and is currently
trying to make good his vow to pluck
the movie from distribution in metro
Atlanta and prosecute whoever tries to
show it there Penthouse is asking U.S.
District Judge Richard Freeman to
rule that the three-hour film does not
violate Georgia state obscenity laws,
thereby prohibiting interference on
McAuliffe’s part and assuring a con
siderable wad of cash from droves of
curiosity-seekers
*2.91 \
LUNCH
BUFFET
11 A.M.-9 P.M.
Try Our
BREAKFAST
BUFFET
*,*1.43
From
6-11 A.M.
'From the Oval Closet'—
By Cary Ichter
Clearing The Air
About The SGA
the student interests when they clash
with administrative interests will
become much harder. In other words,
the day that anyone tells us what our
job is will be the day when we will find
that questioning administrative deci
sions on asbestos, academic policies,
financial aid scandals etc...are not part
of our job.
Our second offense is that we spend
our budget money on stipends and
generally we spend money. It is in
teresting to note that when the West
Georgian submitted its budget request
the salary request was greater than
Student Governments total budget! The
West Georgian also requested more
travel money than the Student Govern
ment. Furthermore, Student Govern
ment instituted a “Buying Power Pro
gram" that over the year should have
saved the average student at least a
couple of dollars. When one considers
the money this program hgs saved
students, I would conclude that we have
more than paid back our budget with
this one program.
The last indictment is the mosf
serious of all. Mo6t students do not vote
in Student Government elections. Well,
mo6t citizens do not vote in presidential
elections but this is hardly an argument
When In
Rome ...
Crawford, who seemed to be a last
ditch desperation back-up system for
McAuliffe’s balsa-wood puritanical
platform, also testified that the movie
appeals to a “shameful interest in sex.
The scenes in the movie stimulate a
feeling of shame These scenes are not
part of the average life of the people of
Fulton County.”
It sounds to me like Fred is speaking
of himself when he talks of shame; he
has no right to talk to the Fulton County
residents who lead those average lives.
Most of those people haven’t saved the
universe from annihiliation like Luke
Skywalker, either, but was “Star
Wars” repressed’’
Crawford went on to say that mastur
bation (a function often shown in the
movie) was an abhorrent, abnormal
practice “at some ages”.
Which ages? Nine, twelve, and four
teen?
The question which has been raised is
one which, in truth, can only be
answered by the individual To filter a
work of art (or even an artless vehicle
of exploitation, whichever "Caligula”
may be) through the value systems of a
select few and proclaim the resulting
perception as a qualitative label is, in
my opinion, more offensive than
anything that a movie could possibly
depict.
Except maybe the “Caligula”
obscenity trial.
OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK
■naMwt 4:00 A.M.-11:00 A.M.
UKk 11:00 A.M.*3:00 P.M.
Hmmt 3:00 P.M.-0:00 P.M.
Hwy. 27 South 832-0025
Carrollton
in favor of anarchy. The West
Georgian’s confoluted logic goes
something like this: Most people don’t
vote in S.G.A. elections so we should
abolish S.G.A. Somehow the West
Georgian confuses not voting with
voting against S.G.A. This tidbit of
logical acrobatics is hardly supported
by fact. Even if one agrees that low
voter turn-out is bad, the West
Georgian solution is absurd. The bot
tom line of the paper’s position is that
since most people are apathetic, we
should abolish the only effective vehicle
for action that the involved students
have. This is not logic or truth. This is
stupidity.
Students and “would-be journalists”
should keep in mind that if there is no
Student Government, there is no traffic
appeals court, no avenue to appeal ad
ministrative decisions on disciplinary
matters, no “Buying Power Program,”
no student input on Student Activities
Fee budgeting or Faculty Senate Com
mittee, a lot more asbestos in your
lungs and in your dorm rooms, and no
one to pursue student interests.
We should not abolish Student
Government. We should abolish the
practice of writing stupid editorials.
The first step in this endeavor would be
to take away the editorial staffs
crayons.
WE WANT TO PRY YOU *SO
AND PUT YOU ON NATIONAI TV
Tfell us what you or any member of your
family would like to see on our brand new TV
series “You Asked For It,” starring Rich Little,
premiering Fall ’Bl. We’ll send our camera
crews to anyplace in the world to shoot:
• Exotic and interesting places
• Dangerous adventures and exciting action
• The bizzarre and the occult
• Odd or unusual occurrances
• Human interest stories
• Spectacular scientific achievements
• Unique show business and sports
personalities
• Funny people, places and things
• Or anything else you’d like
to see or know about.
Send us your letter or ,
postcard and we’ll pay you
SSO for every request we use
and perhaps put you on tv. m
Write to: “You Asked For It”, fl
ro. Box 710, mmWM
IT ii l AAAnn RICH LITTLE star of
rIOiIyWOOCL Oa. 90028 The New “You Asked For It”
The New “You Asked For It” starts Fall 1981 on
WXIA-TV Channel 11
All responses are the property of Sandy Frank Productions, Inc. and will not be returned. In the case of duplicate ideas
submitted, the one with the earliest postmark will be chosen. All decisions of Sandy Frank Productions, Inc. are final.
We're Havin'
A Party
MIKE* H * Y oab *' ,h • hef/ wl,h Sft Thoma *' ,ots 9° *° Aca P u,co ' M °y 23rd -
NANCY* Man, you're gottln to boa pain, I told you I'm going to Farm Day May 23rd.
* Besides, what's there to da In Acapulco that can compare to Farm Day. The
Farm's going to have all the pig you can oat, all you can drink and all the
live bands you can hoar. Plus tournaments, raffles, games, and just one
helluva party.
What bands?
NANCY: ERA recording artists "Nous" and that groat band "E-Z".
MIKE: Yeah, so It'll cost as much as going to Acapulco.
NANCY: I told you before darlln, Its only $23.00 If we go together. But I don t know,
I might go by myself since girls get In for SIO.OO.
MIKE: Ah, come on baby, go with me; It'll cost me $20.00 If Igo alone.
NANCY: Well you are klnda cute. OK.
MIKE: Alright 11 Where do we get the tickets ?
From one of them good looking Farm Brothers, or a little sister. Oh yeah,
NANCY: they're sellln em In front of the Student Center this week. See Ya Later.
SEE YA'LL AT FARM DAYI
THE WIST GEORGIAN, WEDNESDAY MAY 4,1981
3