xt78w950k63z https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt78w950k63z/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1977-09-09 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, September 09, 1977 text The Kentucky Kernel, September 09, 1977 1977 1977-09-09 2020 true xt78w950k63z section xt78w950k63z Criminals cost students almost $150,000 last year

By PHILIP RUTLEDGE
Copy Editor

While crime is not rampant at UK,
larcenous thefts totaling between
$125.00 and $150,000 were reported to
Campus Police last year.

“December has the highest
monthly crime rate nationally, but it
seems that just prior to spring break
is the worst time around campus,”
said Chief Paul Harrison.

He said that about the same
amount of property is stolen every
year. He added that when a new
product reaches the market, such as
citizen band radios, thieves concen-
trate on them because of their easy
resale.

Volume LXIX, Number 16
Friday, September 9. 1977

More than 75 per cent of all crimes
committed at UK are committed by
persons who have “no business on
campus whatsoever," Harrison
said.

Several wallets and ID cards were
stolen last year at the Seaton Center.
Bill Pieratt, associate director of
Campus Recreation, said nearly all
were stolen while students and
faculty members were playing bas-
ketball and racquetball.

“They don’t secure lockers and
don't bring locks. They just leave the
stuff out when they play," he said.

No arrests have been made in
connection with the thefts at the
Seaton Center. Pieratt said every-

     
    

one who goes to Seaton Center
should be made aware of the
problem and take precautions.

While larceny was the most ex-
pensive crime committed through-
out the school year, sex-related
\crimes tended to be seasonal, Har-
rison said.

Last spring, a UK student was
forced into a car at gunpoint,
driven to the south side of Com-
monwealth Stadium and raped.

The rapist released her and drove
to the entrance of Shawneetown,
where he tried to force another
woman into his car, but she escaped.

The rapist fled, but was later
arrested.

14‘2”?“

' aninde endentstudent news aper

Harrison said that most sex-rela-
ted offenses occur early in the spring
and during the fall. Indecent expo
sure, peeping toms, attempted rape
and rape are considered sex-related
offenses.

“In and around the complex and
inside the (ML King) library have
given us the most problems con-
cerning sex crimes," Harrison said.

“We recently sent a guy to prison
for exposing himself in the library
last spring. He also threatened a girl
with a knife," said Harrison.

Physical Plant Director James
Wessels said his department makes
a concentrated effort to keep all
street lights operating around cam-

 

Stifled

New center lacks parking spaces

By MARY ANN BUCIIART
Kernel Reporter

“It‘s a vicious circle,” said Mich-
ael Palm, assistant dean of students
who is parking appeals board chair-
man. “The majority of the cases
that I hear now concern parking.

“They build buildings without
enough parking and keep squeezing
and squeezing. I hope that last year
isn‘t any indication of this year. I
don‘t really know the situation this
year though," he said.

The situation to which Palm refers
is the parking around the Health
Sciences Learning Center. The build-
ing is scheduled for completion
around the first of May and the
parking plan has been altered.

There has been a change order
issued. according to Clifford Mar-
shall, director of the design and
construction division. There were
originally 29 spaces allotted for
parking at the center. Now there will
be 69 spaces, three of which are
marked for the handicapped.

Jim Wash, design division archi-
tect, gave. two reasons for the
change. “One is the addition of the
Brown-Sanders Kentucky Research

 

 

Look inside!

Playboy‘s Coach of the Year
Fnan Curci has a lot to say about
the I977 Wildcats. Catch his
comments in today‘s Pigskin
Preview special edition.

 

 

 

on Aging Building for which the
spaces must also be used. The other
is that we had additional money
after the bid,“ he said.

The cost of the parking lot is going
to be around $36,000. This estimate
also includes a new roadway onto
South Limestone Street, but this
figure is different from what was
originally proposed. There is no way
of knowing the original cost estimate
because it included the cost of

paving and landscaping, Wash add-
ed.

 

Map on page five

 

The 6') new spaces are. between the
two buildings. The Brown-Sanders
building is on South Limestone
Street. The learning center is direct-
ly behind it on Rose Street. “This
area is limited and we've gotten as
many spaces out of it as we possibly
can," said Jack Blanton, vice presi-
dent of business affairs.

Parking around the Avalon Park
area has also been expanded. Ac-
cording to James Zimmerman, an-
other division architect, there were
62 spaces. The proposal calls for an
additional 78 spaces. The entrances

to this lot are on South Limestone
and East Virginia. The latter is a
new entrance.

Blanton added that even with the
additional spaces in the Avalon Park
area, there is still a critical short-
age. “There just isn’t any relief. We
have a consultant who is doing a
study at the Med Center. All-Right
Parking Co. is trying to find some
answers to the parking situation.
This area is the most critical of all of
our large vistas."

Blanton also said that a $12 million
primary care facility is being plan-
ned. “This will eliminate parking
space, but we hope to build an
elevated parking structure,“ he
said.

Zimmerman said he is working on
the primary care program. He said
that the parking predicament hasn’t
been decided yet.

Tom Padgett, director of public
safety, said that the parking prob
lem won‘t be solved until “we get a
significant number of new spaces.
Considering safety, there is one good
aspect of the Health Sciences Learn-
ing Center: it puts a crossway over
Rose Street, preventing an increase
in the danger of crossing."

Dean Funk fears students unprepared

1980 engineers must pass stiff licensing guidelines

By CRAIG DANIELS
Kernel Staff Writer

New licensing requirements for
professional engineers will not go
into effect until 1980. Nevertheless,
some prospective engineers probab-
ly won‘t be prepared for the‘changes
and a move is on to modify the
requirements.

James E. Funk, dean of UK's
College of Engineering, said Wed-
nesday, that the new state law,
enacted in 1972, seeks “to improve
the quality and the development of
practicing engineers."

The new legislation differs most
significantly from existing state law
in that a prospective engineer must,
in order to obtain a license, have a
degree from an engineering pro-
gram accredited by the Engineering

Council for Professional Develop
ment (ECPD), Funk said.

Under the current law, he said,
there are three means of becoming
licensed as a professional engineer:

«acquire a recognized engineer-
ing degree, pass an exam, accumu-
late four years working experience
and pass a second exam.

—receive a recognized engineer-
ing degree, pass an exam, accumu-
late four years experience and be
interviewed by the examination
board.

——accumulate eight years exper-
ience and be interviewed.

The State Board of Registration
for Professional Engineers and
Land Surveyors, of which Funk is
the chairman, is responsible for
conducting the examinations and

 

preparing for the (‘ats‘ opener with North
(‘arolina at Commonwealth Stadium tomor-
row. Kentucky band members Owen Saylor

and David Epperson, both music education

interviews and. ultimately, for
granting licenses, said Funk.

According to Funk, the new re-
quirements will include receiving a
degree from an ECOD accredited
engineering program, passing an
exam, obtaining four years of ex-
perience and passing a second
exam. There are no options.

The eight-year delay between
enactment and enforcement of the
new law is intended to allow
sufficient time for prospective en-
gineers to meet the stricter educa-
tional requirements.

However, Funk said, some per-
sons most likely will still be unpre-
pared for the changes. Concern is
heightened, particularly among fa-
culty, graduates and students of
Western Kentucky University‘s en-

el

pus. Dark, isolated areas are often
used by attackers to commit sex
crimes.

Women studying or working on
campus late at night should secure
an escort if they must walk home,
Harrison said.

Campus police make several
marijuana-related arrests at the
beginnning of each school year,
Harrison said. He added that it is
becoming harder to enforce each
year.

“A lot of students use marijuana.
It is getting to be a more accepted
thing among all students," Harrison
said.

“It looks like either they will have

     

Classy brass

Football players aren’t the only people

gineering technology program.

Some areas of that program are
not recognized by the ECPD, al-
though graduates have been quali-
fying for licensing in Kentucky
under the experience provision of
current state law.

Legislation is now being pushed by
Western’s representatives to allow
licensing of engineering technology
graduates, with experience and
testing stipulations. A subcommittee
of the Join Interim Committee on
Business Organizations and Profes-
sions approved the proposed legisla-
tion recently.

However, Funk finds fault with
licensing as a professional engineer
any engineering technology gradu-
ate, whether the program is accred~

to remove the statute of possession
of marijuana or make it legal. It’s
going to become very unfamous, the
arrest is. But until it does, we will
continue to make arrests," he said.

Harrison said it is also a violation
of state law to smoke cigarettes
under the age of 18, but that law has
become so unfamous that it is no
longer enforced.

There are currently 38 police
officers on the campus force. inclu-
ding two women, Harrison said. The
department has 11 patrol cars and 2
scooters at its disposal. Two addi-
tional cars are assigned to detec-
tives.

University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

—DIVH O'Nel

juniors, get in some practice. See photo-story
on page I0. For other news about what's
happening in the music world, both in and
around Lexington, read the Kernel Arts and

Entertainment section in today ‘5 paper.

ited or not, and he has told the
subcommittee so.

“The purpose of engineering tech-
mlogy,” Funk said, “is to work in
support of engineers. The relation-
ship is comperable to that of the
paramedical and the physician."

Funk described Western’s propo
sals as “not a step forward. My
opinion is that to practice engineer-
ing in this day and age, a person
needs to be increasingly better
qualified."

Funk said that, from his stand-
point as citizen and consumer, “to
allow engineering technology grad-
uates to act as engineers is foolish."

Funk said that the proposed
legislation was approved by the

(hntinued on page 4

 

may

state

can also be explosive.

fa- aso million in damages.

 

EMPLOYES KNEW BEFOREHAND that gas was
suping into a southeastern Kentucky coal mine where
explosions killed 26 men in 1976, a miner testified
yesterday in Pikeville federal court.

Pat Pate. a miner for the Scotia Coal Co., said he had
sen gas bubbling up in pools of water that accumulated in
low places in the company‘s No. I Black Mountain mine.

Pate said he had seen accumulations of coal dust, which

Survivors of is miners who dies in the first Scotia

emlostion, on March 9, I976, are suing the Blue Diamond
Cal Co. of Knoxville, Tenn—Scotia's parent company-—

nation

BEATING A LAST-BITCH EFFORT to save the BI
bomber, the House yesterday approved President
Carter's decision to halt production by a vote of 202 to 199.

The Senate had already agreed to Carter's decision.

The House vote cleared the last hurdle to halting
poduction of the new, high-speed, low-flying manned
bomber although continuing research and development

The House, by its vote, agreed to take $1.4 billion for five
Bis out of a $111.4 billion defense appropriation bill,
(hopping it to $110 billion.

Carter decided to halt production of the controversial
raw bomber and instead developed long-range cruise

nissiles as replacements for the current 852 bombers.

PRESIDENT CARTER IIAS ASKED South Korea to
return indicted businessman Tongsun Park to the United
Sates, emphasizing the importance the case may have on

US. relations with Seoul, US. officials said yesterday.

The officials said Carter's request to return Tongsun
Park, indicted in alleged attempts tot bribe U.S.
mngressmen, was made in a letter to South Korean

Resident Park Chung—bee.

State Department spokesman Hodding Carter said he
mderstood the letter had been sent and that it concerned
dplomatic efforts to have Tongsun Park returned.

“We are clearly asking them because we think they

live the authority to make him available," he said.

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA agreed yester-
tiiy to construct a 2,7oo-mile pipeline across Canada to
lring natural gas from Alaska to the lower it states

WWI"

TODAY WILL BE PARTLY CLOUDY with highs in the
low to mid 00s. There will be increasing cloudiness tonight
with a chance of showers and thundershowers continuing
tomorrow. The low tonight wil be from the upper 503 to the
lower 60s. The high tomorrow will be in the low to mid 7th.

Compiled from Assoclated Press dlspatches

 

 

‘. vwfij. ,
-.d ' : ..
f'l’t‘." : skew»: ‘ . ..... . ,.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

N editorials 89 comments

[Editor-troll“ News Editor ("kl Photographer
Steve Bulllnur Sun-rm: Durham Rm Kight
Managing Editor Auuhu up" Sports Editor
Dirk Gabriel Mil do Mitchell 0- vH "MM-
Hlltorlol l-Ddlor 5“" gm“ Art- Elliot
J00 Kt‘mn William i-‘ugitu Tum “III

Copy Editor-
Judith l-igerton
Lynne l-‘unk
lle Lsy Pearce
l'hll Rutledge

Adverthlng Manager
Tiny Gray

 

 

Constitution could change

On Nov. 8. Kentucky voters
will determine whether the state
gets a revised constitution, Some
people will be familiar with the
issue but many probably will be
surprised to learn it‘s on the
ballot. One thing‘s almost cer-
tain: not enough people will
realize that Kentucky needs a
new constitution.

”The general view is pretty
discouraging.“ said Judy Rice,
an administrative assistant with
the Coalition for a Constitutional
Commission.

The Coalition is trying to
promote the proposal for revi-
sion, but has a meager budget
and is opposed by staggering
indifference.

Under the current constitution.
passed in 1891. elected officials
must forswear participation in

diels. Many cobwebs like that
hang around, which were pro
bably more appropriate in Henry
Clay‘s time. For instance, there
are railroad commissioners who
must be elected and paid for
work that is now done by the
Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion and other agencies.

The major problem with the
old constitution isn‘t so ludi-
crous. Because it is so restrictive
and detailed, the state has been
able to advance this century
largely through court interpreta-
tions:

—To levy a needed revenue tax
in the late 19405. Louisville had to
obtain judicial approval of an
income tax that now provides 45
per cent of city revenue.

-—A $5,000 constitutional limit

on the salaries for state officials
withstood all efforts at change
until 1949, when the maximum
pay was set at specific limits for
certain offices. While inflation
continued, a 1963 amendment to
remove the new limits was de-
feated. Only the “Rubber Dol-
lar" judicial order, which allow-
ed cost-of-living increases, kept
state officials’ salaries from
sinking below the level of mini-
mum wage.

—With no provision for author-
izing urban county government,
the Lexington-Fayette County
merger had to be approved in the
Court of Appeals, where the
constitution was interpreted as
not limiting cities to the tradi-
tional forms of government.

Much of Kentucky‘s law isn’t
covered in the constitution, but is

found in judicial opinions scat-
tered through the years.

So, modern state law isn’t
there.

Yet, the voters have defeated
all recent attempts at revision.
In 1960 the call for a convention
was defeated by only 18,000
votes.

One decade ago, Gov. Edward
Breathitt appointed a Constitu-
tion Revision Assembly, which
made extensive preparations for
a new document. When offered to
the public, though, the measure
didn’t carry a single county.

Out of a niggardly concern for
cost, or for fear of an extremist
constitutional delegation being
elected (though revisions must
be voted on by the public), the
electorate has chosen to remain
inthe past.

 

'The public fears an
extremist position'

Poor New York wants a cook for mayor

NEW YORK—Beautiful. lt was
just the situation in which I am at
my best. My friend Mario Cuomo is
running for mayor of New York and
last week in the Great Hall at Cooper
L‘nion Institute. an arena in which
Lincoln made himself a presidential

 

Jimmy
Breslin

Syndicated
Columnist

 

 

 

 

candidate. Cuomo got a chance to
stand out in a crowd of nine
candidates who were placed on a
stage like a pile of bricks.

in the middle of the forum. an
imbecde came waddling down the
aisle with something in his hand. it
turned out to be a pie. Cuomo didn‘t
know what it was at first And he
moved. He was out of his chair and
across the stage and be bounded off
and came down into the audience.
He got to the guy just a little bit.
hitting him on the side of the face.
The guards grabbed the pie-thrower
andCuomo hadtoremain still.

At home. 1 was screaming at the
"elcvision set. “Let goof the guy. Let
Mario punch him out!“ I figured
Mario could take the guy out with
one, as they say in the fight business.
and do it right here on television
Sensational. in a city rightfully

obsessed by crime, a candidate who
can knock a man out with a punch
could be unbeatable.

Anyway, the impact of the pie-
throwing spread all over the city.
People heard that Cuomo had the
physical ability to act while every-
body else sat in the chair and
wondered what was happening. It
was clear that he had done himself
some good. It was also clear that it
now was time for me to step in and
start handling some of this cam-
paign for the last days, the ones
where you put it together or you
don‘t. it was time for the truly smart
people. ones like me, to take over.

And the next day, when Matilda
Cuomo was on the phone, she said
something about her schedule for
the following day, which called for
her to walk streets in the Bronx with
Gov. Carey. “I‘m not so sure that's a
good idea," she said.

ijumped in. It was clear I had to
take over. “Nonsense," I said. “It‘ll
begreat."

"1 disagree with you.“ Matilda
said. “I‘m out there every day.
People want to talk about the
electric chair. When they see Carey,
he's taken such a strong position
against it, I don‘t think they’ll be
happy,"

“Matilda. you‘re nice, but you
don‘t know what you‘re talking
about." I told her.

"l‘m out in the streets every day, I
know what people will say,“ she
said.

“You only think you know,“ I told
her. “I don‘t have to go out on the
streets every day to know what
people think I’m perceptive.“

A few months ago, Carey vetoed a
death penalty bill in Albany. Carey,
who seethes when the word “death"
is mentioned, pointed out what any
sane, experienced person knows:
that in its history, the state averaged
only eight and two-thirds electrocu-
tions a year and they stopped no
thing and that many criminal-jus—
tice professionals, State Supreme
Court Justice Burton Roberts, for
example, maintain that capital pun-
ishment actually promotes violence
and causes the number of murders
to rise rather than go down.

However, with the mayoral race
on. and the polls showing how
frightened and angered the public is
by ceaseless crime. two of the
candidates, Mayor Beame and Rep.
Ed Koch, have made the electric
chair an issue. The mayor of New
York has nothing to do with capital
punishment, but Beame and Koch
run around in meetings and shout at
the people, fry-fry-fry; and the
public jumps up and chants back,
fry-fry-fry. There is speculation that
this time, the electorate doesn‘t
wanta mayor, it wants a cook.

Now, last week, Matilda Cuomo
took one last stab at talking to me
about this. “if I could only talk to
Gov. Carey and explain to him how
people don‘t even realize they‘ve
been duped. “

 

Does «or “if fir/kw

 

DOG

 

#9 of a serie9

MELANIE FLYNN'S

 

with»; Q0691?

 

“Tell him when you see him
tomorrow,“ I said.

“That’s what I’m afraid about,”
shesaid.

“Matilda, you’re not smart
enough to know these things, I am.
Let me tell you what‘s going to
happen. You’ll go onto the block with
Carey and everybody will push up

 

 

 

 

for his autograph. No do as I tell you
and meet him tomorrow morning.
Be on time!“

The next day, while Matilda drove
to the Bronx to meet the governor, I
went down to Chevlowe’s Beach, a
50yard stretch of sidewalk on
Queers Blvd. where everybody
hangs out.

“What are you doing today?”
Shelley Chevlowe asked me.

“Making a mayor," i said.

Up in the Bronx, Matilda Cuomo
and Gov. Carey started up a street
calledLydig Ave.

“Jimmy told me," Matilda said,
reassuring herself.

Christian View
Here’s a

By BILLY HENDERSON

Praise the Lord! That‘s right, I
said, “Praise the Lord." Automati-
cally when the opening sentence of
this commentary is read, immediate
thoughts of fanaticism, unlearneds

and minority come to mind. Well, .

through this column 1 hope to, in the
light of our academic surroundings,
educate you to the fallacy of these
thoughts.

According to the Word of God, I
don‘t have to defend my life as a
Christian, but the secular world sure
would like to make me think i do. So,
l’m not being defensive, but only
exphining the stand Christians take.

First, many people believe that
real Christians on campus are few
and far between (when i say real
Christians, 1 mean those living by
the Bible). True, there are fewer
than l would like for there to be, but
more than most people suspect. As a
matter of fact, there are more

The first woman on the block
came up to Carey. “So?“ she said.

“Yes," Carey said to her.

“So what are you doing here in the
Bronx when you should be in Albany
making an electric chair?”

A butcher stood in front of the
store with his arms folded. “Come in
here and I'll poison you. You‘re
against the electric chair.”

Matilda spoke to the woman. A
few feet away, Carey was talking
about places he had been to.
Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He said
he does not like the idea of the state
killing people; in some places, it
became a very bad habit.

The talk persisted and finally
Carey was in this beauty parlor and
Matilda was up in the front and he
was in the back and a woman shook
her head full of curlers and said,
“Why are you so liberal with these
animals?"

And now Carey did a thing that is
known as “easing aggravation.“ it
is a very great political move,
particularly if it is done in front of no
witnesses. Carey told the woman to
give Cuomo a year as mayor, and if
that didn’t bring the crime down,
then he, Carey, would personally
review the death penalty. But he
would only review the death penalty
if Cuomo were the mayor. Nobody
else, Carey said.

it was magnificent. You couldn‘t
become more scurrilous. No real
politician in this country would have
anything but admiration for the

move. The only problem was that,
directly behind Carey. writing away
in her note pad, was the efficient,
talented Beth Fallon of the New
York News. She knew she had the
single most provocative statement
of the mayoral campaign thus far.

When the paper came out. i
choked. I called Matilda Cuomo. One
of her younger daughters answered.
“My mother doesn‘t want to talk to
you anymore,“ the girl said.

That morning, here was candidate
Mario Cuomo surrounded by micro-
phones and answering question after
question about Carey‘s statement,
Between answers, he glared at me.
He stood in the liquid heat of a senior
citizen center, took off his jacket and
told the reporters that he would not
change his position. that there are
stronger ways to cut crime than
capital punishment. He said that the
job of mayor is not so important to
him that he would ever sell even a
small piece of his soul for it. 1
couldn‘t wait for him to stop talking
so I could make a comeback and tell
him how to win the election in the
next couple of days.

Outside on the street, Cuomo said
to me, “i know where you could help
us.”

“Great. Where?" I said.

“Waltham, Mass," he said.
“Don’t go there alone. Take him
with you."

He slid into his car and left me

standing on the hot street corner.
(c) 1717 by JIMMY BRESLIN and Chlcaxo'l‘rihuno.x y,
News Syndicate. inc.

’fanatic’ for Jesus

Christians on campus than there are
members of groups which receive
more publicity (Young Socialist
Alliance, Council on Women‘s Con-
cerns, etc. ). So, if someone is
concerned with what's happening on
this campus. they should know what
is going on with the Christian body.

Now we come to the idea that
Christians are unlearned and close-
minded people. l’m afraid anyone
who feels this way has been exposed
to the wrong Christians or in fact has
never been involved with real Chris-
tian people. The mere fact that there
are born again people at this
University contradicts them from
beinguneducated.

Also (if non-Christians will allow
methe liberty of my next statement)
as a Christian, one has the same
Holy Spirit living inside of him that
formed the world. So, that should
even give Christians an edge over
nut-Christians in wisdom.

Associated with the fallacy of

a -‘».».. “Mga. 9..“ ~

Christians being uneducated is the
idea of fanaticism.

ldon’t mind so much being callee
a fanatic as long as you know what
the word means. it simply meant:
enthusiastic, or in many tascs
overzealous. Forgetting the last
part of this definition, I enjoy being
enthusiastic about reality. If people
can walk around and talk enthusias-
tically about what a great basketball
and football team UK has (which i
myself do), then it seems contradic-
tory to condemn Christians for
talking about their Lord Jesus.

Therefore, during this year. i plan
to express Christian views and
perspectives. i do not intend to
argue with anyone; just express
views. Until next time, remember,
“l love you but Jesus loves you
most."

Billy Henderson is a Business and
Economics junior and an associate
pastor of Calvary Assembly Church.

 

 

 

 Liy
1t,

he
ant

lie
ro-
for
m.
ne.
ior
ind
not
are
run
the
t to
n a

.ing
tell
the

said
ielp

aid.
him

me

IneN Y.

IS

3 the

:allec
wlril
noun:
(afies

last
being
)eople
usias-
etball
hieh l
radic-
s for

lplan
s and
and to
xpress
Ember,
rs you

ss and
soclate
hurch.

 

.%,.
13-3
. 39s-
a?

. («whap

 

 

(N... -

‘14..

Expanding his environment

     

Confession of a news addict

It} STANLEY NIILtlIMM
New York Times
News Set vice

Let me begin with a confes-
sion. I am a news addict.
Upon awakening I flip on the
Today show to learn what
events transpired during the
night. On the commuter train
which takes me to work, I
scour The New York Times,
and find myself absorbed in
tales of earthquakes, iliplo
mat-y and economics. I read
the newspaper as religiously
as my grandparents read
their praycrbooks. The sacra-
mental character of the news
extends into the evening. The
length of my workday is
determined precisely by my
need to get home in time for
Walter Cronkite. My children
understand that my commun-
ion with Cronkite is some-
thing serious and cannot be
interrupted for tight ard ti an
sient causes.

But what is it, precisely,
that is happening when I and
millions of others scour our
newspapers, stare at the tube
and pore over the news
magazines that surround us‘.’
Does it make sense? What is
news, and why does it occupy
a place of special signil icance
for so many people?

Let us proceed from a
simple definition: News is
information about events that
are going on outside immedi-
ate experience. In this sense,
news has always been a part
of the human situation. In its
earliest form, it took the
shape of an account brought
bya traveler, or a member of
the group who wandered far<
ther than the rest and found
water, game or signes of a
nearby enemy. The utility of
such information is self-evi-
dent. News is a social mech~
anism that extends our own
eyes and ears to embrace an
ever-wider domain of events.
A know ledge of remote events
allows us to prepare for them
and take whatever steps are
needed to deal with them

This is the classic function of
news.

News is the consciousness
of society. It is the means
whereby events in the body
politic are brought into aware-
ness. And it is curious that
regimes which we call repres-
siu- tend to evhibit the same
characteristic of repressed
personalities; they are un-
able, or unwilling, to allow
conflictive material into aw-
areness. The disability stems
from deep insecurities. The
censoring of the repressed
material does not eliminate
it, but forces it to foster
without anyonc's rationally
coming to gr ips with it.

Inevitably news comes to
be controlled by the dominant
political forces ofa society. In
a totalitarian regime the
government attempts to creat
the image of a workd, and of
events, that rellects most
tavorably on those in power.
Thedeinocratilzation of news.
which goes hand in hand with
the diffusion of political pow-
er among those governed, is a
relatively recent develop-
ment whose permanence can
not be assured.

Democracies are far better
able to cope with the reality of
events than are totalitarian
regimes. Such regimes prom-
ulgate a myth of their omni—
potence. and are threatened
even by events outside the
control of the political pro
cess. Thus. typically, the
Soviet press does not report
air crashes, and even natural
disasters such as earth-
quakes are suppressed, out of
the notion—rooted in political
insecurity‘that the event in
some manner reflects badly
on the regime.

The question for any soci-
ety is not whether there shall
be news, but rather who shall
have access to it. Every
political system may be char-
acterized by the proportion of
information it has which is
shared with the people and

 

SUNDAYS:

THIS WEEKEND:

Jacobsen Park

 

15] E, Maxwell St.

UNIVERSITY U NITED
METHODIST CHAPEL

Worship—11 :00 a .11).
Evening Program—5 : 30 pm.

Friday Open House—7 pm.
Sunday Church Picnic-1 :30 pm.

2543714

 

 

4/,” / ¢;///

DINNER SI‘IK IAIS

Crepe: (forlo- It"
sue-Mute:

Sunny

Sunday
Incl ”In.” flunk Ste-h on! In. sum
Min II

(‘ern Jambalay-

Pmn Cron- sauce

IA." m 1: 8 Sat-lay

253-."

 

the proportion withheld. That
is why the growth of secret
news - gathering agencies,
such as the CIA, is a troubling
one for a democracy. It
appears our government
wants to keep some news to
itself.

At a deeper historical level
we can see that news in its
current form is closely tied to
the rise of economy. and
specifically to the exploita-
tive and risk elements of
capitalism. For the 19th cen—
tury merchant, news meant
reports of his ship, of resour-
ces to exploit and the means
of minimizing the risk ele-
ment inherent in entrepre-
neurship by gaining as much
information as possible be-
fore his competitors. News
services, such as Reuters,
developed to serve business
and investment interests.
who discovered that getting
the news quickly was the first
step to financial gain.

Although I am a news
addict. my addiction is stron-
gest for news that in many
respects seems most remote
from my own life and exper-
ience. International news re-
ceives top priority, followed
by national domestic news,
and finally—and of least in-
terest‘local news. I feel
more concerned reading ab-
out a student strike in Paris
than a murder in my own
neighborhood. I am especi-
ally uninterested in those
news programs that provide a
constant litany of fires and
local crimes as their standard
fare.

Yet there is a paradox in
this. Surely a criminal loose
in my city is of greater
personal consequence than an
election outcome in Uruguay.
Indeed. I sometimes ask what
difference it makes to the
actual conduct of my ‘life to
know about a fracas in Zaire.
or a train wreck in Sweden.

The total inconsequence of
the news for my life is most
strikingly brought home
when we return from a vaca-
tion of several weeks where
we have been without any
news. I normally scan the
accumulated pile of news—
papers, but cannot help notic-
ing how little difference it all
made to me. And least conse—
quential of all were those
remote international events
that so rivet my attention in
the normal course of the
week.

Why this interest in things
far away, with a lesser i