xt7fj678wg2w https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7fj678wg2w/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1991-04-11 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, April 11, 1991 text The Kentucky Kernel, April 11, 1991 1991 1991-04-11 2020 true xt7fj678wg2w section xt7fj678wg2w  

In last speech to senate, Lohman urges continuity

By MARY MADDEN
Assistant News Editor

In his last senate meeting as Stu-
dent Government Association presi-
dent, Sean Lehman said farewell to
the senate. wishing the organization
well in the future.

During presidential privilege,
Lehman spoke to the senate about
SGA’s work during his two admin-
istrations.

“While 1 will not rehash all of our
accomplishments over the past few

years before you this evening. 1 do
want to urge the continuation of
certain programs and projects that I
feel are in the students' best inter-
est,” he said.

“That is what the past two years
have been about —- student commu-
nication, open doors, effective ser-
vices. students first," Lehman said.
“i hope that this continues in the fu-
ture, and I wish next year's admin-
istration good luck."

He asked that “campus health and
safety continue to be a priority for

student government.” that the SGA
prejudice reduction task force con-
tinue its work, that “academics con-
tinue to be a top priority" and that
the lobbying effort in Frankfort
continue as strongly as ever.

Two constitutional amendments
failed at last night‘s senate meeting.
Another amendment wasn't voted
on because two-thirds of the full
senate was not in attendance when
the amendment was in debate.

An amendment to streamline the
administrative structure of SGA’s

executive branch failed after a roll-
call vote. The amendment would
have replaced the special concerns
division of SGA with a student rela-
tions board. Students from various
campus groups and organizations
would have sat on the board. which
would have acted as an advising
body to the SGA president.

Jason Vandiver, current execu-
tive director of special concerns,
said he thought the bill was a good
idea but that passage of the bill
should be left up to next year's sen-

 

 

Ann Lane (left), a phlebotomist, takes blood from UK junior Susan Beamon

‘That’s not so bad after all’

(right) during Pint Party ’91 on campus yesterday.

 

 

 

GREG EARS/Kernel Staff

 

 

2 charged in fire of vacant UK building

By CAROLINE SHlVELY
Staff Writer

Two male juveniles were arrested
yesterday on third-degree burglary
and arson charges in connection
with a fire in a building owned by
UK, according to a Lexington po-
lice officer.

The suspects were charged with
third-degree burglary because there
was an “intent to commit a crime
and remain unlawfully," said Lex-
ington-Fayette Urban County Police
Detective James Curlcss.

The fire was set in a vacant build-
ing at 218 Maxwell St. last Thurs-
day night. Both suspects were taken

 

KFTC
holding
concert

By TAMMY GAY
Staff Writer

Kentuckians for the Com-
monwealth is holding its lOth
anniversary benefit concert
tonight at 7:30 in the Seay
Auditorium.

it will feature Si Kahn, best
known for his songs about so-
cial justice. labor and civil
rights issues, with Sue Mas-
sek and Rich Kirby. Kahn is
the executive director of
Grassroots Leadership, a pro-
gram that provides uaining
and consulting to non—profit
groups.

According to Julie Bums,
from KFTC‘s staff. the music
of the concert will consist of
political folk and mountain
music.

See BENEFIT, Back page

 

 

 

into detention today.

Dale Felty, court designated
worker supervisor. said yesterday
they have not been arraigned yet.
“They are now being processed
through juvenile court."

They were charged with third-
degree arson instead of second—
dcgrec because there was no “intent
to damage the building," Curless
said.

Lexington fire fighters responded
to the fire at llz30 Thursday night
and extinguished it in less than 30
minutes, said UK spokesman Ralph
Dcrickson.

The fire was started in a first-
floor back room and burned through

the floor. he said. Debris from the
fire fell into the basement.

The investigation was a joint ef-
fort between the Arson Unit and the
Lexington Fayette-Urban County
Police Department Detective Bu-
reau.

“The fire was the fourth of this
month and they were arrested to-
day." said fire department Lt. Rich-
ard Crowe. “That‘s pretty fast for an
arson case.

“We went back the morning after
the fire and determined it was arson.
We ruled out any natural causes be-
cause of how the office burned.“

An arson excellerant detection

dog was used by the fire department
in the investigation to indicate if a
flammable liquid was used to start
the fire, said Lt. Tommy Lorrison.

The charge of third-degree bur-
glary was filed “based on the injury
to the building and committing a
crime to the building," Curless said.

The house. located next to the
Games Center for the Humanities.
has been vacant for several years.
UK had planned to remodel it in the
future for use by the Gaines (‘cnter
to include classroom space and an
apartment for guests of the center.
Derickson said the plans will not be
affected by the fire.

Staff members to get own council

By GREGORY A. HALL
Senior Staff Writer

Students have student govcm-
ment. The faculty have the Univer-
sity Senate. And soon, staff mem-
bers on the Lexington Campus will
have the staff council.

The first meeting of the council
will be in September, Chancellor
for the Lexington Campus Robert
Hemenway said.

The council will consist of 15
elected staff members. with repre-

sentation divided among the four
types of staff members.

Hemenway said the purpose is to
give staff “a voice in campus af-
fairs,“ advising the chancellor about
issues affecting staf f.

He said the council will not deal
with setting salaries, and neither
will it act as a personal grievance
board.

Hemenway appointed an eight-
membcr steering committee to work
with him in setting up the council
and its by-laws.

Official cease-fire takes

By PETER JAMES SPIELMANN
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — Officers
from the five permanent Security
Council nations will serve together
for the first time in the new 1,440-
member U.N. force that will moni-
tor the lraq-Kuwait border, officials
said yesterday.

Twenty-seven other nations will
join the United States. Britain,

France. China and Soviet Union
in the patrolling force, whose ad-
vanced guard. led by an Austrian
commander. was to arrive in Ku-
wait City tomorrow.

An official cease-fire in the Gulf
War will take effect today at 10
am. EDT, diplomats said.

That‘s as long as council mem-
bers have no last-minute objection
to it

Members of the council received
copies of the lraqi Parliament‘s de

“Up until this time there‘s been
no one body representing the staff
of the University," said Judy Hay-
wood, steering committee chair.

About 2,400 staff members are on
the Lexington Campus, Haywood
said.

Nomination ballots will be sent to
staff members on May 1. Nomi-
nees‘ names will be on a final bal-
lot, which will be mailed June 19.

Current employees with two

See COUNCIL. Back page

effect today

cision on Saturday accepting the
Security Council's conditions for a
permanent cease-fire.

The two-line Iraqi statement sim-
ply said that the body accepts Se-
curity Council Resolution 687,
passed April 3.

The resolution requires Hussein's
lraq to pay for war damages and de-
stroy its weapons of mass desmic-
tion.

See UN, Back page

ate, as last night's meeting was the
final senate meeting this academic
year.

“All in all it’s a very good bill,"
he said. “But I don't know if it’s
really fair for this senate to rule on
something for next year’s adminis-
tration.”

Vandi'ver also mentioned that he
did not think that, as is currently set
up, academic affairs needed its own
executive branch division.

SGA Vice President-elect Keith
Sparks also spoke in opposition to

the bill.

“Changes in the executive branch
that need to be made, need to be
made by that executive branch," he
said. “We can address this bill at the
commencement of the senate next
fall."

Freshman Senator Jill Cranston
said that the amendment should
have been passed because it was
written by students who had been
involved in SGA.

See SGA. Back page

-~» \X/thtgngr ft “ft“? ‘t‘i ‘-

Hear a good book,
tap dance or drum
on event’s first day

By LAURA CARNES
Staff Writer

When the Women Writers Con-
ference opens its first chapter today
at UK, partici-
pants may find
literature ex-
tending beyond
the traditional
hardback boun‘
daries of pen
and paper.

Tap dancing.
storytelling and
drum playing
join written liter-
ature to highlight
this year's theme of autobiographi-
cal writing.

“Nor only are we looking at peo—
ple who write down material but
people who perform material as a
way of expressing something about

FINNEY

themselves and their view of the
world," said Conference Director
Betty Gabehart.
In its 13th year on campus. the
Women Writers Conference
sponsored by
the Kentucky
Foundation for
Women — uses
different annual
themes to bring
professional and
amateur writers
and readers to-
gether.
" -\ it t of peo~
Gil-CHR'ST ple look forward
to coming every year." Gabehart
said. “ll they are writers somewhere
out in the state, its a lonely exis—
tence not having someone to share
their work with.“

 

See CONFERENCE. Back page

Students who overcame
handicaps given award

By GRAHAM SHELBY
Staff Writer

Jeff Wheatley has never seen .l
UK basketball game.

David Allgood ncycr stood in line
at registration.

These are aspects of the typical
UK student experience that are llll-
familiar to the two.

Wheatley was born blind. A
swimming accident in high school
left Allgood quadriplegic.

But despite -~ or perhaps because
of -— their physical disadvantages,
both Wheatley and Allgood have
excelled in their careers at UK.

To honor their success. the tint-
versity selected them to receive the
annual Carol S. Edelstein outstand-
ing student award.

Wheatley is a computer science
major from Marion County. Ky.
Wheatleys nominators described
him as “an inspiration to his fel-
low students. A person of his ability
and quality (deserves) to be honored
in this way. He has a combination
of intelligence and determination
that makes him the kind of student
that is an instructor's joy."

Allgood is a graduate student
studying rehabilitation counseling,
and though he may spend the rest of
his life in a chair, he hasn‘t spent
his years at UK sitting down on any
of his jobs.

The positions Allgood has held
include SGA senator. Ans & Sci-
ences senator and staff member for
freshman orientation.

Recently. Allgood has been vocal
about the need for UK's athletic fa-
cilities to increase access for handi—
capped students.

“I'm hoping that they (the admin-
istration) recognize that there‘s a

INSIDE: BATCATS OUTSLUG EASTERN KENTUCKY 13-8

and we can come to an
.intenahlc .nvncluston.‘ he said. athl-
ing that the i'niycrsily il;l.\ llll-
proved handicapped .itccss. ”‘ think
the l’niycrsm has done a pretty
good job i; s gnttcn better."

Still. he said there‘s room for im-
provement. ”i can't get in the alum-
ni building and Hit an alumnus of
the i'niyersityf'

prohlcnt

A Donovan Scholars
Forum: 'A Livmg Trust
Instead of a Will‘ David

Porter is open to the
public and free today at
the Old Student Center

Theatre from 4 to 5 pm.

For more information

call 257-8314.

brilliantly
closes chap
ter of UK
professor.
Story.
page 2

it Diversions.
:} Letters, ..
1 Sports,
3‘ Classifieds.

brim-29"? ‘.'T"'"’.‘"‘"‘.‘J

 

 2 - Konttrclty Kernel, Thursday, April 11, 1991

l)l\'l;'RSl()i\'S

 

 

GREG “Wool Std!

 

Chris Carrier and Krista Lynn
perform before last night's dress
rehearsal of Arthur Miller’s “The
American Clock." The play. di-
rected by Patrick Kagan-Moore,
opens 8 pm. today.

‘Clock’ shows how Depression
changed the nation’s perspective

By CA. DUANE BONIFER
Associao Editor

Director Patrick Kagan-Moore
paced nervously back and forth an
aisle in the middle of the Guignol
Theatre last night. It was already
past 8:15 pm. and the dress rehear-
sal for The American C lock was late
getting started

It was scheduled to begin at 8
pm. but there was trouble with
some of the lighting. some of the
props and other last-minute adjust-
ments that have to be made the
night before a play is scheduled to
open.

Actor Billy Breed stood on the
stage with his back to the audience
of six and the spotlight shone on
him. The piano was supposed to be
playing a song from the 19205.

Nothing.

The house lights went back up.
Breed walked off stage.

The piano player said he could
not continue playing as the lights
went down. Kagan-Moore made a
few adjustments with the technical
crew in the booth. and the piano
player was ready.

Breed came back out, and the
show started.

“This is a really good play," Ka-

 

William J. Tisdall

gan-Moore said about an hour be-
fore last night’s rehearsal. “i can
guarantee our work. i think that
these artists are as fine a representa~
tive of their species as any group
you will find on campus. I do not
believe you will find a better uni-
versity production of this play in the
country."

Kagan-Moore, also a theater pro-
fessor, said The American Clock is
the best play written by Arthur Mill-
er in the last 20 years. Although the
play has not been successful in
America since it was written in the
late 1970s. a 1984 version was
greeted with success in England.

Tonight marks the first time The
American Clock has been produced
at UK.

The script is a ”very American
play," Kagan-Moore said. The play
covers the American landscape
from a few months before Black
Tuesday 1929 until the late '705. fo-
cusing on the Baum family of
Brooklyn. New York. The play is
largely biographical, and one of the
characters is based on Miller and
his brother.

The play shows how people’s
faith in America was shaken and al-
tered over the 40 years, but it leaves
several questions about the state of
the union unanswered.

Kagan-Moore said he sees The
American Clock as an affirmation of
the positive programs and changes
government can bring to people.

The play also shows America's

innocence and seemingly limitless
optimism. Kagan-Moore said.

“Americans I think are largely po-
litical innocents. The kind of radi-
calism that exists in the play is quite
unsophisticated in nature." Kagan-
Moore said.

The play is an ensemble piece.
with each actor playing several
characters. All of the props are
brought onto the stage by the actors
as scenes are changed in front of the
audience. Several songs and musio
cal numbers also are performed
throughout the play.

Kagan-Moore said he enjoys the
challenge of presenting an ensemble
piece.

“Ensemble acting is the basis of
good acting," he said. “Americans
are the best in ensemble pieces than
anyone in the world. It's what we
know and is repeated.”

One challenge producing The
American Clock in the Guignol
Theatre was constructing a set that
was flexible enough to accommo—
date the play’s many scene changes,
Kagan-Moore said.

Kagan-Moore and design director
Russ Jones developed a platform
structure that gives the stage more
depth and allows several things to
take place simultaneously.

To prepare for the play, Kagan-
Moore read the cast excerpts of
William Manchester‘s The Glory

See CLOCK, Back page

 

Distinguished Lecture Series
The Department of Special Education
University of Kentucky
presents

@r. John Nietupski, TAD.

Associate Professor
Department of Special Education

University of Northern Iowa
on Thursday, April 11, 1991 at 7p.m.
158 TEB (auditorium)
his topic will be:

“Job Development
in Supported Employment:
Incorporating Business Principles"
The public is invited to attend!

 

The Kernel: always better than the lecture

MISS KENTUCKY U.S.A.
PAGEANT

Ofi‘ic' reliminary to the Miss 115.2. Tageant "

JULY 20. 1991

' - ixeeutive Inn, fParfucafi, 70’
' -' Rug person interested in participating must
’ 6e fierween ages 18 to 26.

Call or write B.F. Behrendt or Gary Jones:

MISS KENTUCKY U.S.A. HEADQUARTERS

6870 Greenfield Drive. Paducah. KY 42003
502-898-8943

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, April Ilth is the deadline for applications
for next year's Executive Branch positions! It you _2.
think you've got what it takes to holp ILK. students,

than S.G.A. is right up your alloy!

Stop by the office at no Student Cantor and pick
one up, or call Mary lo at 251-3l9I. We're pinning
our hopes on you! Help us got the ball rolling and

GET INVOLVED!

CIATION

 

 

  

LIL' 'l‘l'lz'lt’S

Marine Capt. who died in gulf war
loved home and fighting for country

 

By Paul Corlo

 

lot of people knew Reg Un-

derwood better than I did,

but with Reg, you didn't

have to know him that well
to know what a great guy he was.
He was always smiling; he had one
of those infectious smiles, the kind
where when he walked into a room,
you would look at him, and see that
smile, and no matter what kind of
mood you were in, you would start
smiling too, and you would feel
good. He was one of those one-in-a-
million people, who could make
you feel good just being around
him. He never seemed to be in a bad
mood and never had a bad word to
say about anyone. As one friend put
it, “You had to like the guy — heck,
you loved him!"

When I found out that Reg had
joined the US. Marines to fly jets
after he graduated from UK, I was a
bit surprised. He just seemed too
happy go lucky, too easy going for
the rigors and discipline of Marine
training. He didn‘t fit the stereotypi-
cal Marine mold. But it just proves
that there was a lot more to Reg‘s
character than many of us knew,
and that there is no stereotypical
Marine; it takes all kinds.

There is something about the ap-
pearance of a Marine though, espe-
cially a Marine aviator, that strikes
awe in you. Capt. Ben Hancock had
that look.

On March 17, 1991, seven of us,
all friends of Reg, stood in a half
circle around Capt. Hancock. He
had been Reg's wingman and had
flown with him for five years.

You had to be in awe of Ben Han-
cock. I know all of us were. Part of
it was due to that sharp, distinct Ma-
rine look that he had, with the
close-cut hair and the striking Ma-
rine dress uniform with its shining
brass trimmings. But mostly we
were in awe because of a feeling of
who Ben Hancock was, and what he
had done. Looking at him, you
should sense the rigors and disci-
pline of the training that he had
gone through; you could feel the
skill and precision and the courage
that he possessed that had made him
a top jet pilot, a pilot who had flown
in combat not more than one month
in the past. You could read it in his
steely eyes, and in his lean face, but
mostly you could just feel it; it ema-
nated from him.

He was not a large man, just un-
der six feet and slender. He was
built almost like a jockey, which is
in a sense what he was; rather than
horses though, he rode jets.

Ben began to tell us of Reg’s life
as a Marine, and ultimately of
course, their their last flight togeth-
er.
Reg Underwood, Ben told us, had
gone as high as you could possibly
go as a Marine Harrier pilot. The
Harrier is a single seat, single-
engine jet aircraft, which possesses
the unique ability to take off and
land vertically, like a helicopter, by
employing a system that can direct
the jet blast — either downward or
to the rear.

The plane is used mostly for

ground attack purposes, to destroy
enemy tanks and artillery in support
of Marine units on the ground. Its
vertical takeoff ability allows it to
be launched from smaller ships to
fly. Reg, Ben told us, was one of the
best. He had mastered the Harrier in
all weapons, ground attack and air-
to-air combat skills. Like Ben. Reg
has reached the point where he was
instructing other pilots in Harrier
tactics.

“Reg and I had gone all over the
world," Ben told us. “We had done
all the major deployments. We slept
in tents together, shared quarters on
board ship and trained and practiced
together."

“Before the start of the Gulf
War,” Ben told us, “Reg and I were
assigned to a Harrier instructor
school in Cherry Point, NC. We
had finished with deploying around

safely back in the states while guys
my age were at that moment flying
missions over Iraq, getting shot at,
some dying; doing the dirty work
for me and for this country. I can
only guess what Reg must have felt,
knowing his baby was about to be
born, but knowing as well that if he
and his experience stayed behind,
maybe a few more Marines would
die. Reg answered the call.

Reg and Ben roomed together
aboard the Nassau in the Persian
Gulf for more than 200 days. Ben
told us how Reg couldn‘t wait to get
his hands on videos of the UK foot-
ball and basketball games that his
wife sent him.

He loved his alma mater, and
talked often of Lexington, Ky., his
hometown.

When the ground offensive be-
gan, the Nassau was ordered to deep

 

‘1’” never forget one young man wearing a
white shirt and brown trousers. He stood right on
the edge of the curb, facing the procession. He
stood at strict attention, arms clasped firmly to
his sides, chest thrust out, head back and eyes
straight ahead, eyes that were filled with tears.
He knew we were burying a hero.’

f

the world; it was time for us to be at
home with our families."

The only thing surpassing Reg's
devotion to his service was his dc-
votion to his wife, Ben told us. “He
spent every possible minute with his
wife, every minute he could," he
said. “When we would train some-
where on the other end of the coun-
try, Reg would always push hard
when it was time to fly home. Usu-
ally on our last stop, most of the
guys would stay late at the officers'
club celebrating. Reg would be in
bed at 9 pm. Then he’d awake us
all up at the crack of dawn and say
‘Come on, let's get going, let‘s go
home!" We would all roll over and
go back to sleep, and Reg would
jump in his Harrier and fly home
alone. He couldn’t wait to be back
with his wife."

“When we got back," Ben said:
“All the wives would be waiting for
us saying, ‘Reg Underwood was
here eight hours ago. Where have
you guys been?‘ "

Reg's devotion to his wife and to
his service came into ultimate con-
flict at the start of the Persian Gulf
War. Because Reg and Ben were
not attached to an active combat
unit, they were not initially called to
go to war. But the Marines needed
their top pilots; this was the real
thing. An inexperienced Harrier pi-
lot could get himself killed, and
would be far less effective in sup—
porting Marines on the ground. Reg
knew this. He knew he was needed.

He also knew his wife was in her
last month of pregnancy, and if he
left for the gulf. he would miss the
birth of his first child.

I recall at the start of the war driv-
ing around late one night and feel-
ing great frustration, even embar-
rassment, at the fact that there I
was, a healthy young man. sitting

into the Persian Gulf so the Harriers
could better hit Iraqi targets in the
north of Kuwait, along the border
with Iraq. Ben Hancock flew with
Reg on all but one of Reg’s combat
missions, and he flew with him on
Feb. 27, 1991.

Ben and Reg had been shaken out
of their sleep early that morning and
told that they would be taking off in
two hours. The Iraqi Republican
Guard was high-tailing it out of
Northern Kuwait and General Nor-

 

‘Reg couldn’t wait to
get his hands on
videos of the UK
football and basketball
games that his wife
sent him. He loved his
alma mater, and talked
often of Lexington, Ky.,
her hometown.“

man Sehwartzkopf didn’t want
them taking their tanks and war
equipment with them.

Within hours, both men were
seated in their Harriers, engines
screaming, thrust pointed down.
Slowly they rose off the deck of the
Nassau, in a slow vertical ascent;
with the blast still pounding the
deck they hung there, like huge met-
al birds of prey, before slowly slip-
ping off the side of the ship and
then moving forward into level
flight, where upon the accelerated
and streaked off out of sight, head-
ing north into battle.

The lraqi‘s best weapon, Ben told
us. was the weather. If it was clear,
the Harriers could attack from
25,000 feet. At that height the anti-
aircraft artillery was less effective.

Kontudty Kernel, Thunday, Aprll 11, 1901 - 3

 

 

 

 

KERNEL FILE PHOTO

The funeral for Marine Capt, Reginald C. Underwood was held Feb, 18 in Lexrngton. Underwood, 3 UK
graduate, was killed on the last day of the war when his jet crashed

and the only SAMS (Surface to Air
Missiles) that could reach them
were radar-guided; a beeper tone in
the pilot’s headset would warn them
of the missile‘s approach, and they
could take evasive action.

From 25,000 feet on a clear day
the Harriers could spot their target
and then shoot down out of the sky
at 45 degrees, drop their bombs,
then “stand the plane on its tail" and
rocket straight up and out of harm‘s
way. “We would be in and gone be—
fore they knew what hit them," Ben
told us.

Feb. 27 was not a clear day. In
fact, it was miserable weather for an
attack pilot. There was a thick cloud
cover at 5,000 feet, and you
couldn‘t see through it.

Reg and Ben had a choice to
make. “We could stay at 25,000 feet
and bomb by radar." Ben said.
“With 3 8-525 big bomb load, you
might hit something. But with our
Harriers, which carried only four
bombs each, Woody (Reg's radio
call name) and I knew our chances
of hitting the target (an lraqi tank
column) were pretty slim." Ben and
Reg chose to go in low, under ll‘lt‘
clouds, at 3,000 feet.

Three thousand feet is about as
high as a small airplane flies when
giving traffic reports. At 3,000 feet.
an armored column under attack can
hit a plane with rocket fire, machine
gun fire, small arms fire, much
more accurate artillery fire and with
deadly shoulder launched heat-
seeking SAMS. And it all gets there
pretty fast at that height. Ben anti
Reg knew the risks and made their
choice. Had they known it was the
last day of war, I doubt the choice
would have been any different.

“We went in at 3,000 feet and
started our attack run, We were
jacking like crazy, whipping our
jets back and forth. trying to evade
the enemy fire, which was intense,
Woody and I were getting ready to
drop our bombs. In an instant, I saw
three shoulder launched during
SAMS come up. They're fired by
Iraqi soldiers from shoulder-held
firing tubes. They come in twice the
speed of sound. and at that height.
there's no warning. The second one

Kernel editorial proves newspaper needs

 

By Alan Creech

 

The Kernel editorial on April 4
criticized the actions of Socially
Concerned Students, a UK student
organization, as “irrelevant" and
“well-intentioned, albeit misguided,
efforts.“ As a senior whose tenure
as an undergraduate is about to end
and four~term president of Socially
Concerned Students, I wish to set
the record straight on the organiza-
tion‘s 13-year history and show that
the efforts of SCS are anything but
irrelevant.

The number one contribution
SCS has made to the University is
the Student Organizations Center in
room 106 of the Student Canter. In
the April 14, 1983 Kernel, Student
Center Director Frank Harris credits
then-president Danny Faber for
keeping the project to renovate the
old University Bookstore alive.

Harris said, "All of you have
Danny Faber to thank for this final-
ly happening. He‘s been on the
front of this the whole time.“ Due
to the efforts of SCS, student organ-
izations at UK have the opponunity
to have an office space and campus

mailbox.

Thanks to the efforts of former
SCS president Greene and former
SGA President Cyndi Weaver, the
Student Organizations Assembly
now exists.

During the 19805 United States
involvement in Central America,
particularly Nicaragua and El Salva-
dor, led many SCS members to
question the misguided, albeit well-
intentioned policies of the Reagan
administration toward these coun-
tries. SCS wanted to educate the
public on Reagan‘s misguided poli-
cies, and they held many forums
and debates on what would be the
best policy toward Central America.

At this time the United States was
sponsoring a proxy war through the
Contras against Nicaragua. The
Contras were former National
Guardsmen who kidnapped, raped.
tortured, and murdered Nicaraguan
civilians all under Central Intelli-
gence Agency direction. SCS co-
sponsored speaker Ernesto Carden-
al, Minister of Culture of Nicara-
gua. But unfortunately the State De-
partment upheld his visa, preventing
him from traveling in the United
States.

 

In retrospect, Socially Concerned Students has
stayed true to its constitutional goals, to promote
awareness of important issues. SCS is made of
students concerned about political issues. As for
the Kernel, it needs to reflect in on itself, as my
stepbrother, former Editor in Chief Andrew Opp-
mann, once said. “the Kernel is a good paper
with lots of good people, but it has no soul."

’

President Reagan didn't want
Cardenal to tell Americans the
atrocities being committed by the
Contras in the govemment's name.
The concerns of SCS about US.
policy toward Nicaragua were irrel-
evant to the Reagan administration.
Reagan was determined to over-
throw Nicaragua cven if he had to
circumvent the Constitution to do it.
Remember Iran-Contra?

In El Salvador the United States
was, and still is, providing millions
in military aid to that country. The
Salvadorcan Air Force indiscrimi-
nately bombed the countryside. kill.
ing many civilians in the process.
Salvadorcan military officers are

currently being trained in the US.
Army School of the Americas. Mili-
tary officers indicted in the murder
of six Jesuit Priests, their maid and
her daughter were trained at the
School of the Americzm.

Remember when President Rea-
gan said we needed new and larger
nuclear weapons? SCS, like many
people in the United States. were
concerned that someday we would
annihilate the planet. We therefore
began to call for a halt to the nucle-
ar arms race and promoted the
Freeze movement at UK.

On April 28, 1983, Robert Kredig
of the West German Social Demo-
crat Patty's youth branch spoke in

hitWoody."

“He came on the radio and said
‘l'm hit, I'm hit.‘ Our commanding
officer (in another Harrier close by)
radioed to him to turn to the south-
east and make a run for it. Woody
pulled up into the clouds and said,
‘I‘m hit, I'm hit, and l have no con-
trol of the airplane.‘ “ Ben stayed
below the clouds, waiting, dodging
enemy fire, until he saw Reg‘s
plane come out of the clouds anti
impact on the ground.

For the next two wccks, Ben and
the other Marines on the Nassau
waited for word about Reg. “We
kept hoping that maybe he had
ejected," Ben said "that he had

 

“Ben stayed below the
clouds, waiting.
dodging enemy fire.
until he saw Reg’s
plane come out of the
clouds and impact on
the ground.‘

made it out of the plane anti was
alive somewhere. And i tell you
what, there wasn't a man on that
ship, whether he was a cook or an
airplane mechanic or a clerk, who
wouldn't have picked tip a rifle, if
he’d been asked or allowed to, and
gone looking for Woody.”

On March 9. the wreckage of Reg
Underwood‘s Harrier was found in
southern Iraq, lie had gone down
with the aircraft.

“The toughest mission iii my
life," said lien Hancock. “was rid-
ing on that plane back from Saudi
Arabia, bringing Reg home. .-\11 1
could think about was seeing lll\'
wife, and his new baby girl,"

At that Z't‘llll. licii Hancock
dropped his twirl, and a sitiglc tt'ar
fell down his heels .\nd i know
there wasn‘t one of us there. stand-
ing before him. who didn‘t want to
reach out and hug him, anti tell him
how proud we were of him. and
how sorry we were and how grate-
ful.

But we just stood, the seven of us.
our heads bowed. Finally, 1 reached

the free speech area on the need for
worldwide free/c of nuclear weapv
ons. Also. there was a Freeze Fair in
which SCS participated. Even chil-
dren see the relevance in the need to
stop the arms race.

SCS also proposed a freeze in tui-
tion rates as a way of cunailing the
rising costs of higher education.
Even then the Kernel criticized the
proposal as foolish and unrealisue
But the Kernel editors failed to see
why that proposal was made.

The hostile conservative policies
of the Reagan admmistration were
slowly cut to the bare bones. Allo—
catcd funds for grants were less
each year and loan eligibility re—
quirements were becoming more re-
strictive. in effect. the middle class
was getting squeezed out.

In tomorrow‘s high-tech world
we Wlll need more educated people,
not less. Again, SCS is on top of an
issue of great importance.

During the recent