xt7sbc3sxx3v https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7sbc3sxx3v/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1978-02-24 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, February 24, 1978 text The Kentucky Kernel, February 24, 1978 1978 1978-02-24 2020 true xt7sbc3sxx3v section xt7sbc3sxx3v KENTUCKY

21’

an independent student newspaper

Volume LXIX, Number 106
Friday, February 24, 1978

2' University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Officials pOnder source of smoke in arts building

By DEBBIE MCDANIEL
Kernel Staff Writer

Fine Arts Building operators, technicians and
theater personnel resumed investigation yesterday
into the undetermined origin of smoke that
nece$itated evacuation of the building late Wed-
nesday afternoon.

Smoke filled a first-floor theater laboratory and
wasn’t seen by the class until students leaving the
room looked back and noticed the smoke collecting
near the ceiling.

Dr. John Lynatgh, who directed the class, said he
noticed the smell during the class.

“It smelled to me like someone had put a cigarette
in an ash can and caight some paper on fire,”
Lynaigh said. “I didn’t think it was anything big, but
then all of a sudden this smoke started to come out of
the ceiling.

“I got the students out of the room first and checked
it secondly,“ he said. “I grabbed a carb0n dioxide

 

extinguisher became I thought it would be an elec-
trical fire, since the smoke was around the lights."

Dowell Platt, theater arts junior, was in the class
when the smoke was detected. “There was a big loft
up above the theater where the stage lights are, and
the smoke seemed to be coming out of these lights," he
said.

Lynatgh, Platt and another student climbed up into
the loft and checked the area for flames, but
discovered nothing.

“The smoke was just collecting in the loft and
escaping out through the fixtures,” Platt said. There
are about 30 cables in the loft connecting the spotlights
to the dimmer board, advised Platt. “Our next step
was to unplug everything,” he said. “There was
smoke and the smell of fire; something was cooking
somewhere.”

After checking the disconnected wires to see if any
were hot and possibly shorted. Lynaugh sent Melinda
Noel, a theater arts junior. to notify UKpolice of the

 

Canine query

The recent drop in temperatures made the chill factor But the sign prohibited his entrance, so hf had to be
around the wind-whipped Patterson Office Tower dip content with staring at either the people msrde or at
to near-zero, prompting this dog to seek refuge’ inside. his own reflection.

University succeeds

in energy cutbacks

potential fire. The police in turn alerted the fire
department.

The fire alarm was not pulled because, Lynaugh
said, he wanted to be certain firemen were needed
cven though there were no flames. “I heard it costs
$500 when the fire people come over and I wanted to
explain all of this," he said.

There was no time to deliberate over the proper
procedures, said Lynaugh. “It all happened within the
space of five minutes. This was all very simultaneous.
I didn‘t want to set off a panic. I used my doctoral
judgment. It wasn't a panic situation.”

Witnesses said police arrived within three minutes
of Noel‘s call. Soon after three fire trucks and an
ambulance joined them, police set up barricades that
closed Rose Street between Rose Lane and Columbia
Avenue.

Police officers pulled thefire alarm 10 minutes after
their arrival when thickening smoke induced fire
officials to recommend evacuation of the building.
Despite an extensive search of the ceilings, roof,

stage, electrical wiring and mechanical room, the
origin of the smoke could not be found.

Although fire detection equipment was Operating, no
automatic alarms alerted the fire department. A
smoke ddector is located on the laboratory's loft
ceiling, but a ventilation intake duct near the
spotlights prevented smoke from reacting the
detector.

“There has to be quite a bit of smoke to get to the
smoke ddector,” University Theater Technical
Director Robert Ploch said. Quick action by students
and police in calling the fire department made un-
nece$ary any reaction by the detector.

“There always was a real safety attitude in this
theater department, and obviously everyone's at-
tention is raised after the Beverly Hills fire,“ Ploch
said. “After firemen left, there were students
rehearsing in the theater until 11 pm. and they didn‘t
see anything else."

Continued on back page

Win tournament

Freshmen debaters score big

By CHRIS BLAIR
Kernel Reporter

The UK debate team, ranked as
one of three top teams in the
country, added another triumph last
week as two fresh men took top team
hmors in the annual Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Debate.

According to tournament officials,
UK's victory marked the first time
in the history of the meet that a
freshman team took top honors. Jeff
Jones and Jim Duffy, the top-seeded
team in the elimination bracket, won
a 3-0 decision over Redlands
University in the finals after com-
piling a 7-1 record in the preliminary
rounds.

Because an uneven ll of the 35
original teams advanced to the
elimination rounds, the five tap
teams received bycs into the third
round of finals

Beginning the elimination rounds
in the quarterfinals, UK defeated
John Ilopkins University 1H) and
took a semifinal match against
Catholic University of Washington,
I).C., with a 2-1 decision.

In addition to team points,
debaters were given individual
ratings after each round. A woman
from Redlands University received
first-place honors while Jones
placed second and Duffy fourth.

The judges former debaters,
Ilarvard law students and coaches
from the various schools ——
reviewed threerounds each, but the
coaches were not allowed to review
their own team. The final round was
judged by debate team directors
from MIT, Catholic U. and
Augustaiia tlll.) College.

The topic for debate was:
"Resolved: That U.S. law en-
forccmcnt agencies should be given

significantly greater freedom in the
investigation andor prosecution of
felony crimes.“

Each team concentrated on a
different aspect of the subject, such
as rape or nuclear crimes. UK
covered “increased investigation,
team policing."

As a mandatory requirement,
each team debated four negative
sides and four positive sides before
the final round. A coin toss deter-
mined stand in the final round.

Since debating requires a great
amount of research. UK debaters
schedule regular meetings twice
weekly for research training. The
team attends debates with
“thousands of index cards" per-
taining to various facets of the
major topic, Jones said. Debate
members earn one credit hour per
semester and may take the course
up to a totai oi four times.

Busy Wessels strives to persevere

with pressure-packed duties at PPD

By JACK WAINWRIGHT
Kernel Staff Writer

To Jim Wessels, being director of
UK‘s Physical Plant Division takes
more than an ordinary job com-
mitment.

“It takes a man with an un-
derstanding family,“ he said. “I can
be called out at any hour in an
emergency, because somebody has
to have the answers.“

Because of energy cutbacks,
Wessels said, his days are busier
than normal. “I always put in an
eight-hour day and, depending upon
the situation, as much as 12,” he
said. “On Tuesday, (Business At-
fairs Vice President) Jack Blanton
and I were chedring meters until
midnight.“

Wessels said he spends 60-70
percent of his time working outside
his office. Getting out and talking to
the workers makes his day more
interesting, he said.

“I learn a lot from the people who

work in the shops. I use the in-
formation whencva‘ I do work at
home."

Wessels tries to make himself
familiar with as many men in the
shops as he can. “Even though there
are about 760 employees at physical
plant, I know most of them after
they‘ve worked here for four to five
years,“ he said.

 

See photo on page 3

 

Wessels also said he enjoys
watching his men at work. “They
won‘t let me do anything. I would
just botch things up," he said. “The
workers in the shops are experts,
and I wouldn‘t consider telling them
how to their jobs.“

A 1948 UK graduate, Wessels said
he enjoys UK football and basket-
ball. ”I haven't missed a football
game in 20 years.“ he said. Wessels
also enjoys boating and water skiing
and said he thinks everyone should

have something to keep them oc-
cupied when they‘re not working.

"Our job is larger than most
peOple realize. " he said, pointing out
that PPD is involvedin all aspects of
campus activities, from basketball
games to concerts.

“Running physical plant is getting
harder became the campus is still
growing and the budget is
tightening,“ he said. “We're being
forced to make more long-range
projections.

“I teach a class to engineers with
Wayne Rogers, the manager of
utilities at physical plant, about
pneumatic controls and air con-
ditioning. I enjoy sharing my
knowledge of subjects with others."

Wessels, who has been PPD
director for 16 years, said he hates to
think of the day when he will finally
leave his job. “I would miss the
excitement and the people,“ he said.
"There‘s always something hap-
pcn'ng and there is nothing that we
can‘t do.“

 

— today

inside

THE WILDCATS HAVE A CHANCE TO CLINCII A SHARE of the
Southeastern Conference basketball title Saturday afternoon in Knoxville
when they play the hard-luck bitten Volunteers. See Page 6 for David Hib-

have taken up stations at key intersections to ensure that coal keeps moving
to utilities during the nationwide coal strike.
Guardsmen had orders to shoot only when individual live were in danger.
About 600 guardsmen were on duty Wednesday. including 250 activated
Tuesday. Ilut no v iolence was reported. and state officials said the initial 350
guardsinen actii atcd last week might be deactivated by Thursday.

By JACK WAINWRIGHT
Kernel Staff Writer

“UK will be open on MOnday and
we have no plans to close," Jack
Blanton. vice president for buisness
affairs, said Thursday.

According to Blanton, the
University was able to reach its goal
of 25 percent in the cutback plan
announced Friday, Feb. 17th.

“We compared meter readings on
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
with the readings for these days last
week.“ he said. "We came up with
19. f2 and 22 percent, respectively.“

Blanton said these savings would
be greater than 25 percent if the
medical center and dormitories are
excluded. “We‘re going to continue
to rush towards our goal of 25 per-

cent with these (medical center and
dormitories) included,“ he said.

“I‘ve been notified by Kentucky
Utilities that when they reach a 20-
day (coal) supply, there will be a
plan calling for 50 percent cut—
backs,“ Blanton said.

Blanton said that became of in—
formation he received concerning
tJK‘s entrgy situation over the past
three days. he believed UK could
remain open even under a 50 percent
cutback plan.

Blanton also said he thought it
would be possible to reach the 50
percent cutback if Kentucky
Utilities excluded the medical
center and dormitories from its
plan. “We believethat KU will agree
to exclude these from it's plan," he
said.

bitts' indepth preview of the game.

 

nation

(ItiVl-ZRNURS 0F THRl-Il-I COAL-PRODUCING STATES said Thursday
only indistry capitulation to the United Mine Workers' bottom-line contract
terms can avert presidential intervention in the coal strike by this weekend.

West Virginia Gov. Jay Rockefeller, declaring his “absolute conviction“
that President Carter will intervene soon. said the only other way to end the
m-day-old strike is for the indistry to accept a tentative contract already
negotiated between the union and a major independent operator.

The statement came only hours after Carter told reporters he had decided
to forego immediate intervention becaise "we‘re still trying to get the
parties to negotiate with each other."

Rockefeller. Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp and Kentucky Gov. Julian
t‘arroll issued a statement supporting strong action by Carter.

AS ELECTRICITY Cl'TBM'KS SPl-II'IDl-ID l'P IN INDIANA. National
Guardsmen carrying unloaded M-m rifles -. and ammunition for them

life.

by a fire.

opuation.

Compiled from Al' dispatches.

THE Sl'l'ltEMI-I (DIRT. l'PHOIDING LOWER COURT RULINGS, has
cleared the way for Tennessee officials to authorize amputation of a 72-year-
old woman‘s gangrenous feet against her wishes if it is necessary to save her

Mary (‘ Northern of Nashville had asked that state Department of Human
Services officials be barred from allowing the surgery. The justices voted 7-2
to turn down her reqmst.

Living in what was described by her lawyer: as a rundown house with poor
heating. Miss Northern suffered frostbite of the feet. Perple removed her on
Jan I? from the rubbleestrewn home, which was partly burned days earlier

"or lawyers said she has only a 5 to 10 percent chance of surviving without
the amputation and about a 50 percent chance of survival after the

SPRING Is mm A MONTH AWAY. but what an eternity that might be.
The forecast for Friday is a high in the mid-305 dropp'ng to a low in the mid-
20s at night. 30 percent chance of light snow on Friday night and Saturday.
High on Saturday in the mid-ms.

weather

 

 

 

    
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
   
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
    
  
   
  
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
    
 
 
     
   
  
  
 
   
   
  
 
  
   
  
 
   
   
    
   
   
    
  
  
     
   
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
   
  
  
 
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
    
   
    
   

 
     

  

 

 

    

K‘emfiiel

editorials 8: comments

Steve liailmger David Ilibbitu Gnu Fielth
Editor in Chief Sports Editor Richard MCDMIIG
I)‘ k t‘ b 1 Jim McNair
rc in ne . Mike Meuer
Managing Editor Bob Stauble Betsy Pearce

Assistant Sports Editor

’l‘homas (‘la rk
Assistant Managing Editor

(‘harles Main
Editorial Editor

Nell Fields
Assistant Art: &
Entertainment Editor .

Jennifer (iarr
Staff Artist

Walter Tunis
Arts l: Entertainment Editor

Copy Editors

David O'Neil
Photo Manager

Jeanne Wehns
Photo Supervisor

 

On ’tuition tax’

Carter bill is best plan

It was only a matter of time before American
taxpayers demanded help with one fast-rising
cost of living: college fees. Congress is con-
sidering two proposals that would answer that
demand by giving tax credits for tuition.

It’s a familiar concept, one that seems
especially popular during years when tax reform
‘s a fig issue. One of the plans would allow
deductions of up to 50 percent of tuition, to a limit

of $500 pe' child. Andher measure

credit of $250 for the first year in college, then
$300,3400and$500for the next three years.
Those plans have strong opposition from the
President, though, who is pushing his own
Middle Income College Assistance Act. The
advantages of Carter’s plan are that it is less
exparsive than the tax credit proposals, and is

better planned.

Under the College Assistance Act, the federal

budget for higher education would

greater than it is in this fiscal year. One tax

credit plan would cost $4.7 billion,
billion.

Carter’s bill would increase the funding of the
Basic Grants and would extend them to more
students. Also, federal support for studeit loans

cutoff mark.

would allow a

alternative.
Carter’s bill

be $1.5 billion

the other $1.9

will increase, and would be available to students
from families whose income used to be above the

Expansion of the. work-study

program, construction of facilities for han-
dicapped studaits and more money for research
are other elements of the plan.

Though the College Assistance Act touches
more areas than the tax credit proposals, all
three bills are forced to compete because there is
not enough money for Carter’s plan and tax
credits; the Presidait is presenting his bill as an

is the best measure. It offers

assistance that is focused on and targeted for
specific needs — the taxcredit plans give breaks
indiscriminately, with no limits on income. Tax
credits could be used by studaits who have no
great need for them, at a much higher cost.

Rising college expenses have put a great
burden on middle-income families, and are
beginning to jeopardize not only a student’s

choice of where to attend, but even if he can

attend. The President’s bill offers aid to those
who need it most, at a reasonable expenditure,
and Congress should approve it.

Abzug election shows
women still must wait

NEW YORK — At noon last
Tuesday, Vincent F. Albano Jr., the
Manhattan Republican leader,
watched some absentee ballots
being counted in Peter Cooper
Village on the East Side. There were
28 votes for Bill Green and eight
votes for Bella Abzug in the special
election for Congress. Albano
mumbled something.

“What's that?" a- guy with him
said. i.

“I said, I got something going for
me," Albano said.

He was on the streets working in
electiom when he was 12 years old,
Vince Albanowas, and now, 55 years
later, he only had to look at a few
numbers.

 

jimmy
breslin

 

At night, 20 minutes after the polls
closed, Albano sat in his office at the
Roosevelt Hotel, the radio on,
phones ringing. On the radio, the
newscaster was conceding the
election to Bella Abzug. With 23 per
cent of the vote in, he said, Bella was
so far ahead that we could be ex-
pecting her victory statement quite
soon.

On the telephone, one of Albano’s
captains, Joy Tannenbaum, was
calling in the arithmetic from the
63rd Election District of the 65th
Assembly District.

“Green 216, Abzug 93," she said.

“I love you,“ Vince said.

“It‘s terrific, isn‘t it?“ Joy Tan-
nenbaum said.

“I love you," Vince said.

Albano hung up the phone. “We
pulled it out,“ he told everybody in
the room.

An hour or so later, the broad-
casters started to catch up with his
figures. And the next morning the
national newscasts were saying that
a Republican won a congressional
seat in New York and that to do it he
had to upset Bella Abzug. The
Republican win was spoken of as
perhaps the start of a swing around
the country. Which could be good for
Albano, who has a candidate for
governor. But the more important
part of the story was that Abmg, by
losing, seemed to reveal the
weakness of the women’s
movement.

As Gloria Steinem said after the
count, “We no longer can depend on
the electoral system. The street is
the only place for our movement."

The mathematics seems to sup-
port her. In the medievel year of

1962. there were 18 women in the
House of Representatives and two
women in the Senate. Now, after the
tumult of the late '605. after the
awakening. the raising. and the
pishing, there are 18 women in the
House and one senator, Muriel
Humphrey. who is there on a
maneuver we once thought was
reserved only for backward

Scutherners: the wife taking the
husband’s seat. This tawdriness is
nearly enough to force you to recall
Hubert Humphrey’s cheerleading
during the Vietnam war.

“The figures in state legislatures
are discouraging too,” Gloria
Steinem was saying. “Eighty per
cent of the women elected are from
the opposition party, which means
that nobody thought they had a
chance to win. If an-election-eeems
winnable, the man is the cangda‘te.
The average age of a woman in the
state legislature is much higher than
that of a man. The legislature is a
woman’s ultimate reward for years
of civic work, while the male
politician normally starts out on his
career in this job."

The eqral rights amendment,
which has been thrown out of many
state houses as if it were a disease
carrier, appears as more evidence.
Last Thursday, an intern named
Barbara Smith at the National
Women’s Political Caucus said
gloomily, while compiling statistics,
“Much of the language used by
pe0ple against the ERA is the same
as was used against women‘s suf-
frage. What do we hear?
‘Vulgarizing the image of women.
Robbing women of their inherent
privileges.” These are right out of
textbooks about women‘s suffrage.
Nothing ever changes."

So on election night, when its
greatest figure Bella Abzug went
down to an astonishing upset, the
women’s m0vement seemed, to
many inside it, to be floundering
desperately. Male prejudice has
triumphed as surely and as easily as
it did when the Iroquois were in
charge.

Perhaps not. For Bella Abzug's
loss also could be seen as an
example that being a woman is not
enough to win a national office.

Last week, when she could have
been on the streets of the district
campaigning, Bella Abzug went to
Washington and dropped into the
office of House Speaker Tip O‘Neill.
She discussed committee assign-
ments she might be able to get. Bella
was uncertain of exactly which
committee she wanted to be on, so
O‘Neill caused the postponement of
a meeting of the House Steering
Committee, which assigns corn-
mittee jobs. The Steering Com-
mittee was to have met Wednesday,
and Bella did not think she would
have her mind made up by this
point.

While she was in O‘Neill‘s office,
Bella also brought up the number of
table reservations she would need in
the House dining room for people
attending her swearing-in.

Then she came back to Manhattan
and she lost.

There might have been reasons
other than overconfidence for
Bella's defeat. There has come to be
a tired quality to Bella's pushiness:
even her hats seem boring. Perhaps
the real trouble is that she has been
in an election or so too many.

Therefore, her loss could have
nothing to do with the strength of the
women’s movement. For on election
day, the same day the great woman
figure lost, the New York State
Court of Appeals, conservative and
sluggish, held that a divorced
woman can live with another man
and still collect alimony from her ex-
husband. This is about the largest
crack so far in the thick wall of

. doubletstandards behind which all

men liVe.‘ The climate is being set for
women to begin living the same
lives, including cheating, that men
do.

A political election is much less of
an indicator than it is supposed to
be. Abzug loses. But talk to your
daughter: the past is over. The
reason the women‘s movement has
trouble making its expected indent
on politics is that the movement is
too new, the people in it too young.
Politics is, like croquet, a sport for
the old.

The women‘s movement, then,
will begin to make it big in politics
only when its leaders are a lot of old
ladies who have been on ballots for
about a half century.

The case of James Earl Carter Jr.
seems to be a contradiction. It is not.
Carter is a smart technician who
spotted a flaw in the Democrats’
system of nominating a president,
and he took advantage of it and won.
Won resoundingly. Terrific. Good
for Jimmy. And then he went to
Washington with all his bright
people around him, his new faces in
town, and they all strode briskly
past the old heads of Washington
politics. And the old heads looked up
and gave a little nod. They had seen
it all before. And then one day
(‘arter‘s best friend, his great new
face in Washington, Bert Lance,
came into the Oval Office wailing. A
bear trap hung from Lance's ankle.

White House rudeness turned to
apology. independence into reliance.
And Carter, the brilliant technician

of primary elections, turns out to be'

an aimless guy whose latest
decision. selling planes to the Arabs
and Israelis so they both can be a bit
more certain that they are able to
kill each other, is a classic.

The Abzug clectiou, then, has
nothing to do with either the end or
the slowing of the women‘s
movement. It has to do only with the
slowest part of life, politics. Nobody
suggests that slowness is a sign of
health: inability to change is the
reason for all the trouble in the
country. If a system of old men will
not make room for women except
over decades. then how long must
we wait until blacks get an ever
chance?

So that election in Manhattan last
Tuesday was less significant that
women were saying it was. The
movement will make it in politics.
Only. when it does, the women will
be grayheaded and able to tell
stories from a lot of years back.
Certainly, it‘s lousy. It has to be. It‘s
politics.

 

 

Letters to the Editor

 

 

Frtz: yea

Thank you so much for the ex-
cellent article on abortion by Tom
Fitzgerald in the Tuesday, Feb. 21
Kernel. I think that the most im-
portant issue raised was that of
responsibility. The Right-to—Lifers
seem to feel that their job ends with
abolishing abortions. I’m quite sure
these same people heartily Oppose
welfare. They usually point out the
great numbers of white, middle-
class families that want to ad0pt.
But do these families choose to adept
chfldren from poor mothers who are,
more than likely, of minorities and
are born with defects directly at
tributed to the poor health and bad
prenatal care of the mothers?

Too many families, as adoption
agencies are always pointing out,
want to ad0pt nice, healthy white
babies just like themselves. But any
nice, healthy, middle class girl who
finds herself in trouble will always
find the money for an abortion. I'm
afraid that this alternative to
abortion is simply not valid.

If this state and country is ready to
deny abortions to the poor, then we
must be ready and willing to foot the
bill of increased welfare rolls and
better health care to welfare
recipients.

Another important issue is that of
individual rights for all, poor or rich,
woman or man. It seems that the
state is busy brushing some of these
rights under the rug right before our
eyes. Thanks again to Tom Fit-
zgerald for such a great, 0n-target
article.

Sarah Cobb
university staff

Beware of Fife

Have you gotten a parking ticket
lately? I want to recount what
happened che on Monday, Feb. 20.

"fl (parsed ”my car, “in, front of

Keencland Hall, on» Keeneland‘

Drive, to run in and pick up my
girlfriend, who was waiting for me
after her class. I locked my car,
walked inside. called her and waited
for her to come down. This took four
to five minutes at the most.

When I walked outside, I had a
parking ticket. With smoke rolling
out both ears, I dashed down to the
campus police station and explained
my story.

“Sorry," the woman said, “I don't
care if it was only 30 seconds, you
shouldn‘t have parked there.” I
aksed her where does one park when
waiting for a girl from Keeneland?
She explained that there was one
spot that wasn‘t marked with a
yellow line, beside the head
residents‘ zones. I was speechless!

There are at least 200 girls in
chneland and I know I'm not the
only male visitor who has to park
there. I guess we all are supposed to
park in that one spot! I’ve parked
there all last semester (for my
ususal four minutes) and never once
got a ticket! This is my second one in
two weeks! It seems that all these
Barney Files have to do is run
ar0und ticketing students‘ cars. At
$5 a ticket. I hope these people are
eating good at night on us filthy rich
students.

Students: beware of the Barney
Fifes!

Dale R. Berry
(‘ivil Engineering

Frtz: nay

An open letter to Tom Fitzgerald;

First things first. Your banjo-
playing is the most excitiing thing
I‘ve ever heard. Now for our
disagreements.

In your column of Feb. 21 On the
Kentucky Abortion Bill you speak of
“the distortion created by such
slogans, for example, ‘forced busing
‘ or ‘right to life' or ‘abortion on
demand..."

I agree. slogans do tend to polarize
issues to an unhealthy degree
sometimes. You speak of

“hysterical minorities,” but Fitz ol'
friend, I naice some of this hyaeria
you speak of creeping into your own
polemic. Allow me to bring your
attention to some of the phrases that
add to this polarization we both
agree is unhelpful.

In your paragraph on the House in
Frankfort, you describe the
representatives as “Swept on by
their zeal...“ Now this implies that
all those representatives that
disagree with you are irrational,
unstable zealots, tossed about on the
waves of a crusading spirit foreign
to all enlightened individuals such as
(ahem) we.

Now Fitz, that is as fine a job of
polarization as I’ve seen in at least
two weeks, when I last read Tom
Wicker. As for calling the legislators
“madmen and mad-
women. . .testifying to the Lord about
their grand and glorious victory," I
hardly think the bigotry and
prejudice of that phrase need any
further explication.

The problem I have with your next
phrase is not so much its in-
flammatory nature as the
unexamined assumption that lurks
behind “those who would impose
their morality 0n others..." What is
the basis of all law but some type of
morality or other? We have laws
against murder. theft and assault
because we have a “morality," or
value system if you prefer. that says
these behaviors are “wrong.” So
don‘t, make the mistake of saying we
“legislate morality“ because that‘s
precisely what we‘ve done for 200
years.

Of course, what you mean is they
shouldn‘t disagree with your
opinions.

Well, until the voters of Kentucky
change their representatives you
might have to settle for being a
minority, though a very vocal one,
I’m sure. .. ,

I would like to hear a response,
and forgive me if my tone has been
too pedantic.

Steven Odom
campus minister

Flu will out?

Will somebody sit back and listen?
While University officials are
concentrating on keeping the
students in school, they are also
managing to make life near im-
possible. There are two aspects to
the problem: the financial and the
health.

Financially speaking, how about a
refund? After all, for $735 we
deserve more than a cold, dark
room, oneclock, no stereos, no TV‘s,
no radios and, God forbid, no
refrigerators.

On the health side. the very day
the Health Service warns of a “flu-
like“ illness spreading across
campus, the university outlaws hair-
drycrs. The other restrictions are, if
not fair, at least reasonable. But
why make a bad situation worse? It
20,000 pe0ple end up sick, we can‘t
have classes anyway!

If we can‘t go to classes, we just
can't go. But unless 20,000 peeple get
burr haircuts, the flu will win it all.

John Singleton
Arts and Sciences freshman

Lighted fuse

In my short lifetime in these
United States I have noticed an
interesting phenomenon. There
appears to be an inordinate number
of black people occupying jobs
typically associated with the lower
status. I have known and been in-
formed about this situation for a
longtime but until recently it had no
impact on me. Being a white male
ca ucasion of the middle class I have
never paid much attention to the fact
that there is a relative absence of
blacks holding middle to upper
status jobs.

The other day it hit me as I stood
waiting to cross the street. I was in a
crowd of black men who were

casually conversing. From their
clothing it was obvious they were
janitors. The thing that struck me
was that they were in their late 20’s
and 30‘s. My thoughts then went to
other times that I have stood in a
crowd of white males of the same
age group. Only with the whites it
was obvious that they occupied
upper to middle status jobs. If this
were just an isolated incident I
would have thought nothing of it. But
the more observant I became, the
more obvious became the
discrepancy.

I wonder why so many blacks here
in Lexington as well as other places
I‘ve lived occupy low status jobs?
Further, I am especially interested
in why so many male blacks ranging
in age from 2540 years occupy low
status jobs? The answer to these
questions might also indicate why so
many blacks are unempl0yed.

There are some theorists (notably
Arthur Jensen and Shockley) who
argue that blacks are genetically
inferior. If this were the case then it
makes sense that they are typically
unemployed or occupy low status
jobs.

Accepting this point of view we
might also be justified in paying
blacks lower wages for their ex-
pected lower quality of work.
Making the racial inferiority
assumption even if it is not true
leads to economical advantages for
employers. An employer paying a
black enmployee the wages of an
inferior worker when the employee
is doing average to above average
work would be a big economic
savings. I personally know of two
cases where black employees were
denied pay raises for highly
questionable reasons. Denying a pay
raise to an inferior empIOyee is of
course easily justified.

A recent article W. Labov, a
distinguished lingtp'st, categorically
and very persuasively refutes the
racial inferiority arguments of
Jensen. As far as I know no one
takes Shockley seriously enough to
formally refute his inarticulate
(perhaps senility is to blame here)
ramblings. I think anyone interested
enough in the issue of racial in-
feriority to explore it (beyond the
literature of the Nazi party) will find
no strong evidence to support the