xt769p2w6j65 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt769p2w6j65/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1978-05-05 Earlier Titles: Idea of University of Kentucky, The State College Cadet newspapers  English   Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Kentucky Kernel  The Kentucky Kernel, May 05, 1978 text The Kentucky Kernel, May 05, 1978 1978 1978-05-05 2020 true xt769p2w6j65 section xt769p2w6j65 In compliance with Title IX

Men's and women's athletics merged

By JEANNE WEHNES
Kernel Stalerlter

In an effort to reach “compliance”
with federal legislation that outlaw
any type of sex discrimination, the
Athletic Board voted tnanimously
yesterday to merge the Women’s
Intercollegiate Athletics and the
Athletic Association.

The merger, to be effective July 1,
will retain Cliff Hagan as Athletic
Association director and place Sue
Feamster, current director of the
women’s program, as'assistant
athletic director.

UK President Otis Singletary said
yesterday the proposals accepted by
the board represnt the first of two
phases that will put the women’s
athletic program in compliance with

Volume LXIX, Number 151
Friday, May 5, I978

With Caudill

the Education Amendnents Act of

- 1972.

The Women’s Intercollegiate
Athletics program currently is
funded by the gaieral University
Fund and is under the control of the
Office of Student Affairs. Dr. Robert
Zumwinkle, studait affairs vice
presidatt, said these has been full
consultation between his office, the
admin'ntration, Sue Feamster and
Bernard Johnson, director of
campus recreation.

Zumwinkle said a change was
seen in the offing for a number of
years. In no way, he said, does his
office think the women’s athletic
program has been yanked away
from them.

The shift of women’s athletics to
the Athletic Association was made

by Singletary on the basis of an
administrative reorganization
decision. Jack Blanton, vice
president for btsiness affairs, said
the Board of Truestees has
delegated such power to Singletary.
He said, however, that because of
the importance of this move,
Singletary will be conferring with
the board.

A second proposal, also accepted,
would create three “classes” of
sports in the newly formed Athletic
Association. The first would be
men’s football and basketball.
Singletary said these must be
classified by themselves became of
their economic independence from
the rest of the athletic department.

Women's basketball will be placed
in the second class. Singletary said

the merger envisions women’s
basketball as a potential crowd-
drawing and thus revenue-
prodtning sport.

The third “class” would be for all
other men’s and women's sports.
This class encompasses sports that
are nonrevenue producing and not

likely to become revenue producing
in the upcoming years.

Singletary said he was not ready
to announce changes in budgeting,
facilities and staff, but said the
women's department would be
under the control of the Athletic
Board once the merger is effective,
he said.

All Southeastern Conference
schools except one have a merged
program.

_ ' KENTUCKY

81‘

Students discover
the ’real truth’
of the Appalachians

Editor's note: Reporters Jennifer
Greer and Craig Daniels recently
accompanied their Appalachian
history class on a tour of several
mountain towns. The following story
contains their observations.

By JENNIFER GREER
and CRAIG DANIELS
Kernel Reporters

When Harry Caudill asked his
Appalachian history class how to
solve the problems of the mountain
region, he might as well have been
talking to a wall. Since only half of
us had ever been to Eastern Ken-
tucky, the only th'mg to do was pack
up and head for the hills.

Friday, April 14, 6:30 am. —
About 13 members of the class, plus
a few friends, meet in front of the
Funkhouser Building, ready to
discover Eastern Kentucky.

Caudill will lead and his wife,
Anne (whom he calls his “chief of
staf ”) will bring up the rear. By 7
am, our five-car convoy is heading
down the Mountain Parkway toward
Hazard.

Our mission is clear: 0n the road,
as in class, we will seek to strip
away images and impressions about
the mountains that have been ac-
cumulating for two centuries, and
come to grips with the realities of
this rich land and its poor people.

Andwhobetter than Harry Caudill
to glide us? A native of letcher
County, Ky., Caudill practiced law
in Whitesburg for many years. He
was a three-term state legislator
and is perhaps best known as a
spokesman for Appalachia and the
author of Night Comes to the
Cumberlands.

As we aprroach the Appalachian
foothills, the panoramic landscape
surpasses even the poet’s most
exorbitant praise. Wild flowering
redbuds and dogwoods decorate
hillsides. green with spring’s en-
couragement. Mountains rise above
moon-shine misted hollows, where
many secrets are kept by animals of
the woods.

There is more, too, bit our ap-
preciation of the scenic beauty is cut
short. Junked cars, pick-ups and an
occasional schoolbu; litter roadsides

on page 2.

 

“today

I I
Insrde
Tlll-I WAIT IS (WI-IR! THE GOLDEN FORK WINNERS
ARE ANNOUNCED! The 1978 version of the Kernel‘s in-
famous awards to the past year's newsmakers can be found

and front yards, along with old,
rusted washers, dryers,
refrigerators. Hillsides are covered
with plastic green garbage bags,
many so stuffed that they split at the

 

seams and serve up scraps for dogs

and other scavengers.
Mountain streams, bright orange

from the sulfurous minerals that

wash off strip-mined slopes, are
stopped up with silt and trash like so

ma“? 0108ng sinks. What mm as

a dump and a sewer upstream

provides drinking water for those '

downstream —- if the stream doesn’t
choke first.
About 10 am. we leave Hazard for

lsom, where Caudill has arranged .

forusto go intoanon-union mine run
by the South-East Coal Co.

Company officials equip us with
hard hats, battery-powered lights
and emergency recusitators. A
foreman assures us that became
this mine is above the water table,
there is little danger of us en-
countering any noxious gases.

What is an advertture for some, an
ordeal for others', is routine for our
fearless leader, who accompanies us
into the mine. We are told to slide
into a personnel carrier (a box-like
vehicle with open sides), lie on our
backs and keep our limbs inside.

There are five linked carriers and
the whole train Iurches forward into
the mine like a roller coaster moving
at slow speed. When we are clear of
the mine entrance, the doors clamp
shut with an echo that suggests the
closing of a coffin.

Ten minutes and nearly a mile
later, after a suspenseful but
uneventful ride, we arrive at an area
where a conveyor belt is being
worked. Beams of light from our
hats cut through the coal dust the
carrier has stirred up. Our glide, a
foreman, tells us the dust isn’t
nearly as bad as it was before strict
regulations were enforced and safer
ventilation systems were installed.

Bending forward at the waist (the
ceiling is only five feet), we make
our way to the back of one section
where steam coal (for generating
power) is being mined. A man of
about 20, black with coal dist, is
operating a large machine that’s

Continued on page 4

an independent student newspaper I

Singletary said he realized that
some do not favor such an
organization, but that Feamster and
Hagan will be working to maintain
each program‘s identity.

“I think it (the merger) has to be
made to work." said Singletary. “I
don’t think we have a choice."
universities that receive federal
money to establish equality between
men’s and women’s athletic
programs. Guidelines established by
the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare list areas

The legislation causing the recent
uproar is known commonly as “Title
IX." It requires colleges and

such as scholarship, facilities,
staffs, coaching and traveling
budgets as areas in which it will seek

The winnah

festivities. The Queen beat the Belle of Louisville for the second

The Cincinnati Delta Queen powers her way up the Ohio River
during Wednesday’s Great Steam Boat Race. at part of Derby Week

Tuition increase disturbs many

By JIM MCNAIR
Copy Editor

Some out-of-state students at UK
were so disgruntled by the April 12
tuition increase for non-Kentuckians
that they’re not bothering to return
in the fall.

“Basically it’s too expensive for
me to come back," sid Margaret

Ricotta, a special education
sophomore from New York. “I’m
putting myself through school and I
can’t get financial help, became my
parents make too much money to
qualify yet not enough to help me to
any great extent.

“At $750 a semester, it was
ptshing it, but now it’s just plain
ridiculous.”

The out-of-state tuituion bike,

which will catse fees to rise from
$750 per year this year to $900 next
year and $1,050 the following year,
was passed by the Kentucky Council

on Higher Education at a time that
catght UK out-of-staters off guard.

Ricotta said, “I‘m planning on
attending a state university back
home because it‘s relatively easy to
get into on last-minute notice, which
is the case because UK waited so
long to announce the increase."

“The thing of it is," grumbled Joe
Wisniewski. a New Yorker and a
junior BGS major, “is the fact that it
was kept quiet until it was passed. It
scents to me the whole idea is to
keep outcf—state students out."

Actually, the increase in fees was
not intended to discriminate against
out-of-state students. Harry M.
Snyder, director of the Council on
Higher Education, said the state
“takes into consideration what other
states charge Kentucky residents
and what it costs to educate out-of~
state students.

“For instance,” he said, “Ohio
schools charge Kentucky studmts
$2,000 a year. That‘s a rough figtre
because some charge more and

to eradicate ineqmlity between
men’s and women's programs at
colleges and universities.

Singletary said the most difficult
aspect in reach'ng compliance is
that University officials, along with
many government agencies, are not
sure what is required to meet the
goals of the leg'slation as it will be
interpreted by HEW.

Compliance, as interpreted by

~various agendas, does not require

an institution to match ap-
propriations dollar for dollar in botlt
men’s and women’s programs.
Federal departments other than
HEW have published their own
interpretations of Title IX, causing
debate and disagreement as to the
“correct" interpretation.

University of Kentucky
Lexington. Kentucky

—Dlv|tl O'Neil

straight year. See picture layout on page 5.

some less. Ohio is a contiguous state
and that’s what is taken into ac-
count."

Snyder said tuitions in Kentucky
public schools are still “con-
siderably below” those in Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio, while being
roughly the same as Tennessee‘s
and Virginia’s and someWhat higher
than Missouri’s and West Virginia’s.

“We’re not trying to be the
highest. But we have a legal man-
date to consider what other states
charge our students," he said.

Another point he stressed was that
people from out-of—state “have
never contribiled to Kentucky’s tax
base" and should therefore bear
more of the cost of education here.
Kentucky subsidizes the edtxation
of in-state and out-of-state students
alike.

“I regret anyone being forced to
leave one of our institutions became
of this action," Snyder said, “bit I
also regret that we waited so long to
do what we sincerely had to do. We

have an obligation to our people to
not allow them to subsidize out-of-
state students’ education at their
expense.”

Before last year’s increase to $750
per year, out-of:state tuition had
remained at $605 for five years,
according to Snyder.

Students, neva'theless, still are
seething at the unexpected raise.

“I think it‘s outrageous. I think
they should have sent something to
the students so we could have ob-
jected to it,” said Desla Alexander,
a junior from Indiana.

Alexander said she plans to sit out
of school for a year — in order to
establish residency in Kentucky —-
before returning to UK. “Basically,
I’ve always loved the state of
Kentucky and anything to do with it.
It’s really beautiful and I like the
atmosphere," she said.

Wisniewski has already begin a
oneyear selfexile from school to
establish residency here. “Already a

Continued on page C

 

state

(ith. Jl'l.l.\N CARROLL SAYS IIIS BACKING of a major
renovation and enlargement of Louisville‘s Freedom Hall is
aimed at providinga new basketball arena for U of L as well
as attracting a professional team.

John Y, Brown. the Kentuckian who is halfowner of the
Buffalo Braves professional basketball team, said Wed-

nesday he was “receuive to the discussion about renovation
of the Fairgmmd‘s Freedom Hall."

Brown said he will probably decide in a few weeks whether
to kcep the Braves in Buffalo. where they lost money last
scaStm. or move it to one of five other cities. including

Inuisville.

Brown said having a first -class arena would be a factor in

his decision.

('arroll said in an interview with the Associated Press
shortly after the 1978 General Assembly adjorned that he had
on obligation to help I? of L obtain a new basketball arena.
and 'hat a renovated Freedom Hall would also serve as an
attraction to a professional basketball team

'I’III'I KI'IN'I‘l't‘KY l-IIll‘('.\TION

ASSIN‘IATIUN II \S

“Kl-2|) (iov. Julian t‘armll to check reports of largescalc
teacher cuts next year by school boards and superintendents.

Kl-ZA President Wayne Harvey said in a letter to the

 

governor that the situation is alarming, especially in view of
major fund increases for cdtration enacted by the 1978

General Assembly

Harvey said the problem "calls for an immediate and
thorough investigation from the highest level of state

gm crnmcnt "

weather

IlISIINISIIIMi SllthI-IRS TODAY. High in the mid 5th.
Partly cloudy tonight with lows in the mid 405. A chance of
showers tomorrow witha high in themidtith.

 

 

 

  

 

TUCKY

nel

Stcvc llallingcr
Fdrtor in Chic!

lliclt Gabriel
Managing Editor

Thomas t‘lark
Assistant Managing Editor

t'harlcs Main
Editorial Editor

' Nell Fields
Assistant A rte &
E ntertainment Editor

David llibbittl
Sports Editor

Bob Steuble
Assistant Sports Editor

Walter Tunis
Arts 1: Entertainment Editor

Gregg Field:
Richard New
Jim McNeir
Mike lei-er
Betsy Pearce
Copy Editor:

David O'Neil
Photo Manager

Jeanne Wehnes
Photo SupflVilof

 

 

h "in ' M. contesttof‘ ll'e t
‘ , ’ I“? -°“'B bu
grit-4w softy. 'fi’h H . . '8 ,_

The Cloak And
Dagger Award

. . . goes to Art Still for having more
agents than the cm.

The annual
Golden Fork

Commemorating outstanding acts of ineptitude during the year

The Emily Litella
P lain-S peaking
Award

. . . goes to UK Athletic Director
Cliff Hagan, who attempted to call
off classes for the next day at the pep
rally alter the Wildcats won the
NCAA. This award is shared by UK
President Dr. Otis Singletary, who
failed to say “Neva' mind.” You’ll
never get your own television show
that way, guys.

The N obody

Does It Better
Award

. . . goes to Robert Zumwinkle, vice
president for student affairs.
Without a doubt, you do your job as
well as any administrator on this
campis. Now if we could just figure
out what exactly it is you do . . .

The Do You Reallv
Think You Can

Stop Us Award

. . . goes to the MI. King Library for
its recent contest deigned to stop
. the them «800.000 with of
. . r4 , . . ‘d

senator; “ "“ ’
The Hamburger
Helper Award

...goes to the Iranian Students
Association for providing more filler
for the editorial page than all other
persons and organizations com-
bined Brilliant effort, folks. Without
you, life would be so much more
interesting.

The VD Is For
Everybody Award

...goes to various horses in the
Lexington area, who have giver new
meaning to the term clippety-clap.

The Best Bookmark
Award

. . . goes to Student Government for
the nearly worthless Studmt Buying
Power cards, which ev artually were
distributed amid a flurry of apathy.
Haven‘t seen this much worthless

plastic in one place since they
released the last Donny and Marie
album.

The Maybe Blonds
Don't Have More
Fun Award

. . . goes to Jay Shidler, whine
bleached blond hair disappeared at
about the same time that he starting
job on the UK basketball team did.
But Jay —— Truman and Kyle didn’t
use peroxide, either. . .

The Lose Your
Toyota In A
Chuckhole Award

. . . goes to Lexington mayor James
Amato for the fine job he’s done in
clearing up traffic jams on
Nicholasville Road. An-
thropologists, do your stuff.

The What If They
Gave A Press
conference And
Nobody Came
Award

. . . goes to Gatewood Galbraith,
head of the Kentucky Marijuana
Feasibility Study, for nearly
managing just that earlier this year.
Only one reporter dared venture out
to the scene to thecrime, and nobody
seems to know what they talked
about. And we thought sex, drugs
and violence were big this year.

The Here's Bile
in Your Face Award

. . . goes to Ken Kagan, who
managed to bitch for virtually the
entire year, usually for not having
anything to bitch about. How’s that
theory of journalism go again, Ken?

 

 

The

Flaming

. . .goes to mega—vitamin salesman,
publisher and escort service
operator Nicholas Martin. Martin
said what asked if his escorts will
provide fringe benefits to their

Sphincter

The If It’s Sunday,
This Must Be

South Bend Award

. . .goes to the staff of NBC Sports
for learning that there are places
outside of New York City other than
Notre Dame. Those newfangled road
maps do wonders, don't they, fellas?

The Your Vote
Counts Award

. . . goes to Student Senator Michael
Carozza, for running in the College
of Social Professions, receiving only
one vote - his own write-in ballot ——
and winning. We're not sure if you
could call it a mandate, but we guess
it beats walking the streets.
Frankly, we wouldn’t be surprised if
all those people who lost in the at-
large elections suddenly changed
majors.

customers, “Pm too high figu-e

Award, | j ,‘ 9"

in
will.“

The We Should Play
In Three-Piece Suits

Award

. . . goes to the UK basketball team,
whose businesslike conduct during
basketball games would put Merrill,
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith to
shame. Don’t worry, guys, if you
can't cut it in the pros, Wall Street
has a place for you.

The Tough Luck
For Rapists Award

...goes to the United Mine
Workers, who, through a prolonged
strike and resulting power shortage,
preverted perverts from being able
to see their nocturnal targets.
Kentucky Utilities, which inex-
plicably raised its rates, gets the
Keep The People In The Dark
award.

ca

Kernel
Awards

The How Many
People Does It Take
To Turn In
A Building Award

...goes to the Physical Plant
Division for often enlisting several
people just to replace a light bulb,
reminiscent of techniques rumored
to have been developed in a certain
Eastern European country.

The Now We Need
A Ski Slope Award

. . . goes to the Wildcat, or Joe B.
Hall —depending on what day it
is —— Lodge. We haven’t seen
anything that nice this side of Aspen.

The Is It Live Or

Memorex Award

. . . goes to John Darsie, UK’s legal
counselor, for his insightful “No
commen " remarks to the press
when questioned on virtually eva‘y
subject.

The G rand Canyon
Award . W.-- .. ...s.

I r. . .‘goes toLeiiihgidn sochlité’nnita-

Madden, whose plunging necklines
prove that a basketball team isn’t
the only way to draw a (rowd at
Bupp Arena.

The I'm Julian,

Fly Me Award

...goes to Kentucky Gov. Julian
Carroll for his use of state planes on
his recent vacations to lands further
south: namely, the Bahamas.
Coffee, tea or taxpayer-paid trips,
anybody? That’s what we call a
governor really moving his tail for
you.

The You Can Fool
All Of The People
Some Of The Time
Award

. . . goes to Kernel managing editor
Dick Gabriel, for being named
Outstanding Journalism Senior.
Maybe the karate lessons had
something to do with it.

The You Can Fool
Some Of The
People
All Of The Time
Award

. . . goes to Columbia University for
allowing its school of journalism to
present the Kernel with a Medalist
award for journalistic excellence

during the past year. Snowed them
good, didn't we?

The Okay,
I Guess I'm Hurt
Award

...goes to Charlie Esposito, the
former Lexington newsman who, on
the day before the statute of
limitations was to run out, filed suit
against the Univa'sity for having a
partition fall on him during Gerald
Ford’s speech last year. Gee,
Charlie, talk about a fingering
illness. . .

The It sun Looks
Like A Sidewalk

.. ' ziubvt‘
-----~To Us Award

.‘ . .' goes" to Jack Blanton, University
vice president for business affairs,
for assuring us that the new
sidewalk across the central campus
would help beautify the campus.
Somehow, we just can't see where it
changes things all that much.

The Invite The
Beggars To The

Banquet Award

. . . goes to the Sigma Nu fraternity
for throwing independents out of
their Greek Beer Blast and windng
up with several untouched kegs of
beer. Guess the wimps just couldn‘t
handle the competition.

The Snidely
Whiplash Award

. . . goes to Dean of Undergraduate
Studies John Stephenson for playing
the bad guy in the Honors Program
evaluation controversy. You take a
rope, find the nearest railroad track
and. . .

 

Kernel res ponds on

After a year-and-a-half, it’s my
turn to write my final column and
fade into obscurity like all the
others . . .

Am i complaining or begging for
sympathy? Nah, To tell you the
truth. all I really feel is an over-
whelming sense of relief,

”New" '

kagan

 

I remember how excited I was to
join the Kernel staff in January,
1977. when l was asked to profile the
candidates for mayor in Lexington. I
thought then that writers for a
newspaper the size of the Kernel
could have some influence, maybe
help shape opinions. and generally
stir tip a litttle shit

Wrong Not the Kernel Not here in
Lexington.

No one told mc then that people
read the Kernel. but only with a
smirk. After briefly scann'ng the

 

page 3

Bouts with UK and th

headlines and maybe a couple of
stories. most people. I found, just
leave the paper strewn around,
either on desks, on the floor, or in
garbage cans.

Imagine what an ego boost it is to
a budding writer to find out that
most people just don‘t give a shit -
it really does wonders. So it took me
a little while. but I got used to it.

If anyone were to inadvertently
walk into the Kernel office, l think
the primary impression left would
be disbelief. Reporters whose work
you‘ve come to know and admire
throw papa at each other. call one
another names, mock other staffers,
the papa, the University, anything
and cva‘ything. I suppose that‘s the
principal ethic at the Kernel:
mockery. I guess it probably comes
across in the writing and editing.

And it will come as no surprise
that jealousy exists here. l came to
see that there is no common spirit.
there are staffers and hangers-on
here who do not wish the best for all
the writers. but rather hope to see
others fail and look ridiculous. Such
unprofessional attitudes have helped
sabotage the effectiveness of the

Kcrncl.

It's supposed to be a learning
experience, training writers and
technical people for the professional
world. At best. that‘s valid for a year
or so. After that, staffers just get
mired in personality games.

The Kernel used to run notices
that we were the third largest
morning daily in the Commonwealth
of Kentucky. Those notices were
stopped. probably out of em-
barrassmcnt.

ltut you. the readers. have some
responsibility in all of this. If the
quality of the Kernel has in fact
dctcrioratcd. then it‘s not the fault of
the Kcrncl alone.

Port of the blame lies in the fact
that students have neglected to get
involved. There tire numerous ways
this could have been done. Letters
and calls to the Kernel, requesting
coverage of particular events or
institutions are important, but more
so. the Kcrncl can get very isolated
and out of touch with reality if
students .md faculty do not offer
critiqucs, positive and negative.

If you .ll't‘ n‘turning next year.
write to thc Kernel and tell them

what you like and don‘t like, how you
think the paper can be improved.
There is still enough professional
pride around here that your
suggestions can be absorbed.

Recently I received a questionaire
from the College of Arts & Sciences.
asking seniors for their feelings
about UK. Some pretty good
questions, on the whole. They
wanted to know if I felt any sense of
association with my department. or
with UK.

I thought about it for a while, then
l realized I felt nothing. The best I
could say for UK was that it has let
me be. I didn‘t feel any particular
sense of elation when UK won the
Nt‘AA championship. I don‘t plan to
attend any reunions, and I don't
think l'Il be especially sad to leave
UK.

it you want to know the truth of it.
what has bothered me most about
[K is the students. I get the feeling
that many of the younger faculty
members shake their heads in

e Kernel leave only a sense of relief

amazement and dismay when they
consider the concerns and
motivations of this crop of students.

For one thing, it never ceases to
amaze me that students here are
quite content to sit in their classes,
be lectured to, dutifully take notes
and demand little of their
professors. There are few
challenges, vrry little interaction.
And in the rest rooms, l have never
seen so many guys looking at
themselves in the mirror. combing
their hair.

Professors, in turn. demand very
little of students. After classes,
cvcryone heads off to the Library
lounge or Two Keys for a few drinks,
and that seems to be the limit to the
acadcmic experience at UK.

So i guess that like cva‘yone else
here. all I want is to get my wor-
thless degree and get out. See, I used
to have a lot of fantasies about
staying in Kentucky, working to
effect some kind of political and
social awareness. to be a small part
in bringing about some changes.

I think it was observing the ac-
tivities of this year's General
Assesmflv that finalized my

decision to get out of here. I just
couldn't believe it when the ERA
was rescinded, and I couldn’t
believe the fanatical and emotional
attempts to outlaw abortion at any
cost.

So I‘m moving to the West Coast.
I‘m not sure what I hope to find
there, but it‘ll be nice to see family
and friends, and i need a change of
scenery.

l want to thank everyone who has
read my columns and offered
comments and criticisms. It has
been a really meaningful learning
experience, and We met a lot of nice
people. if nothing else, We had the
freedom here to do whatever i
wanted. '

Oh. by the way, is anyone rn-
terested in organizing a boycott of
Richard Nixon‘s memoirs, or a
boycott of Rupp Arena? Leave a‘
message here at the Kernel.

Good luck with finals, everyone.
Have a nice summer, and think
about getting involved in something
important. Be bold.

This is Ken Kegen‘s last column.
Thanks. everyone.

 

 

-- yr- .‘

 

 

  

     
     
    
     
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
    
 
  
  
   
  
   
    
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

You’re never here

But how‘ would you know?

By DICK GABRIEL
Managing Editor

Ordinarily, we don’t like to
hang our dirty linen out for
everyoneto see, but this is an
exceptional case.

As has been the case all
year, our policy concerning
columnists is to run whateva'
they write, no matter what
their opinion. It’s their space
and any censorship would be
hypocritical.

But . . .

As many of you might have
surmised, Mr. Kagan's
column did not exactly go
over well with the staff. They

have asked me to provide a .

reply andI gladly agreed. If
in-house squabbling bores
you, turn to the classifieds. If
not, read on.‘

I remember how excited I
was the day Ken Kagan
joined our staff as a reporter.
He seemed intelligent and
aggressive, two qualities
critical to the development of
an aspiring journalist. And
when he became a regular
staff writer at the beginning
of this year, I was confident
that, as managing editor, this

would be one person to whom
I could go in a [inch — one'
guy I could trust.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

He wasn't interested in
reporting unless it involved
stirring up a little shit. It
seemed he was above writing
the stories that fill the paper
on the days we dm’t have
major news stories a' con-
fidential reports to uncove'.
No, that was beneath him, it
seemed.

And then he became our
“political writer” and forgot
"the meaning of the words
“deadline” and “ob-
towns 5"- He x - -wrote'

whenever the spirit moved

“ "him', "conveniently ignoring

his commitment to come up
with two stories per week.
(Full time staff writers, such
as he was, are responsible for
at least that much.)

And ev ery story that was to
be straight news turned out to
be a “news analysis,” a

convenient label that allows

the writer to interject per-
sonal opinion into a straight
news story. Only, an analysis
is supposed to accompany the
main objective piece. Kagan
skipped that unimportant
part and got right to what
counted the most — his
opinion.

I’ll never forget the night of

..,«.»4..»¢ . zf¢¢¢

 

‘ IT DOES PAY

the mayoral electionslast fall
when I sat, seething, as
Kagan informed me that
there was “no way” he carld
write his election story ob-
jectively. Isubmit that if that
was truly the case, he’s in the
wrong brsiness.

It became obvious after he
started to write hb column
that Kagan was interested
mainly in becoming

something of a campus

figure. He begged for mail
and finally dd 't under the
guise of “consumer ad-
vocate.” He ranted
periodically about not having
anyone to protect. I gave him
a column idea after an elderly
woman phmed the office,
looking for Kagan. She had
been mailed a chain letter
and was going to pass it along
to the state consumer affairs
office. But she decided to let
Ken have first crack.

He toyed with it and then let
it slide. I guess the woman
didn’t deserve any protection
that day.

Yes, ,it’s true, people do
leave the Kernel strewn
about. That’s geneally what
happens to something that is
giver away. If it cmt students
something to get the Kernel,
it’s a cinch they wouldn't
leave'it lying around. But why
carry it when there’s another
one waiting at the next
building or classroom?

But that’s not the issue. The
issue is ego. I’m sorry, but not
surprised, that Kagan’s ego,
which seems to have taken on
massive proportions, suf-
fered when he was a “bui-
ding reporter.” But if he had
spent more time on the staff,
he would have come to realize
that compliments in the
newspaper btsiness are rare.
You have to have enough
confidence in yourself and
your abilities to be satisfied
with your work and the
knowledge that you’ve done
the best job you can. Oc-

DONT
BLAME
US!

if you miss a
good deal in
the classifieds

 

 

 

 

  

     

casionally, some reader
might write a nice letter or,
better yet, one of your peers
might pass alonga kind word.

Which brings us to another
point. Certainly, the Kernel‘s
newsroom looks like a
cyclone hit it. and you can
gene-ally find people doing
wild and crazy things there.
But I defy you to spend 12 to
16 hours a day working there
without looking for an
emotional outlet. Kagan
wouldn’t know about it
because he's rarely there for
more than 30 mimtes at a
time.

And yes, there’s mockery,
cynicism, sarcasm, you name
it. But99percent of it is all in
jest. And that which isn’t,
well, with that many people
working so closely for so long,
some personalities just aren’t
going to mesh. But jealousy?
Sabotage? Horse hockey.
We’re all in this together.

Why should we want each
other to fail? Anybody who is
successful, who lands a
summer internship with a
major paper or, better yet, a

fulltime job, can only help
the Kernel. You won't find a
tighter bmch when it comes
to pulling for each other than
the Kernel staff.

“It's supposed to be a
learning experience. That‘s
valid for a year or so."
Preposterous. I’ve worked on
this paper for five years. You
learn if you want. You hone
your talents, develop dif-
ferent styles. If you want to
sperd time mired in per-
sonality games, as Kagan
secured to, you could do that.
too. Like anything of any
value, you get art of the
experience what you put into
it.

And yes, we used to run
fillers boosting the fact that
the Kernel is the third largest
morning daily in the state.
And they haven‘t appeared
lately, that’s true. But the
reason for that is simple, and
all Kagan had to do was ask:
we have run few, if any,
fillers this year because our
advertising sales have been
sporadic and the papers
smaller by comparison.

Fillers are just that and we
thought the space could have
been put to better use serving
you, the reader.

Oh, yes. K