The Towerlight, February 3, 1983

tl19830203-000 "The Towerlight Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. �Martin Luther King, Jr. vol. 76 No. 16 PUBLISHED BY THE STUDENTS OF TOWSON STATE UNIVERSITY TOWSON, MARYLAND 21204 February 3, 1983 Life in the 'No Parking' Lane By Bob Tarleton The University is doing its part to keep Towson-area towing firms in business. University officials said that 50 cars were towed away last Thurs-day and Friday. Welcome back to TSU, everybody... SGA drops New Life students By James Hunt Citing contradictions in testimony and violations of University policy, the Student Government Association Tuesday voted unanimously to recon-sider the constitution of the New Life Christian Students, an evangelical group which had previously sought-and gained-SGA approval. The vote, which rescinds the group's SGA affiliation, reversed a vote in the final meeting (Dec. 14) of last semester in which the SGA ap-proved the New Life students con-stitution. The reversal, according to several senators, came as a result of informa-tion obtained by the SGA over the holi-day break which highlighted con-tradictions in the New Life group's original testimony. Included in that information was a letter from Father Robert Albright, Catholic Campus Minister at the Newman Center (an SGA affiliated organization) stating that the New Life Christiaki had been distributing anti-Catholic pamphlets on campus. (Strangely, Albright's letter, though dated Oct. 19, 1982 was not received by most of the senators until after the Dec. 14 meeting.) At the Dec. 14 meeting, the New Life members denied discrimination against any existing religious group. When shown a copy of the anti- Catholic pamphlet referred to in Albright's letter, however, a member of the New Life group told the SGA Tuesday that ""it (the pamphlet) looks familiar; it has our brand name on it."" The group had also denied, senators said, having any affiliation with any other national evangelical organiza-tion. Tuesday, however, a New Life member said there was a ""strong in-formal, personal network"" with similar groups at the University of Maryland and Ohio State University. The group maintained, though, that they were an independent organiza-tion and said that they had previously misunderstood what the SGA meant by affiliation. Several of the senators also cited accounts of the New Life Christians ""soliciting"" in the residence halls and distributing pamphlets front of the University Union, a violation of University rules. Sen. Thomas Hart-sock said that he had attended a meeting in one of the residence halls during which students complained of being ""harassed"" by New Life Chris-tians distributing pamphlets in the residence halls. The senators said that the group had denied soliciting. New Life president Brian McLean said that he ""did not realize"" that soliciting was against University rules and said the SGA had been unclear regarding this matter: ""(we were under the impression that) `soliciation' was selling something, not necessarily (distributing pam-phlets)."" Sen. Leslie Swiger, who along with Sen. Robert Barnhardt chairs the committee responsible for reviewing organizations seeking SGA affiliation, responded that the New Life students had a responsibility to know the rules of the SGA and the University before they sought affiliation. Following the SGA's vote, Bobby Waddail, Baptist Campus Minister, spoke in defense of the New Life Christians SGA affiliation. Waddail questioned whether the SGA's vote to rescind the group's affiliation had restricted their ""(right of) religious freedom (and) the right to say things that are offensive to ot_hers."" Barnhardt replied that the SGA was ""not denying (the New Life Chris-tians) the right to believe what they want to believe."" By Bob Tarleton Baptist Campus Minister Bobby Waddail questions SGA decision. Track coach given suspension The athletic department of Towson State has suspended the women's track team coach for two weeks for his failure to comply with University regulations. The coach also received a one year probation penalty for his ac-tions. James Pennington, the women's track team coach for the last four years, was given these penalties after allowing an athlete, who was not a University student, to participate in an open track meet. The athlete, whose name was not released by the athletic department, had also not received a physical before participating in the meet, another violation of University rules. The athlete was accepted to the University four days after the meet. Pennington, a 1969 graduate of the University, has led the track team to national events, and trained three All- America athletes during his four year tenure. Mary Mendel, captain of the women's track team, said ""the team was more like an intramural club before Mr. Pennington came to Towson. He built the team up and pushed us to become a strong qualify-ing team."" Pennington accepted the penalties with no resistance. ""I knew it was wrong, and that I would have to ac-cept the consequences,"" he said. Computer classes ,facilities draw a capacity crowd ; some say no relief in sight By James Schoettler Space in a 1983 Towson State niversity computer science course is as rare as a Colt victory. Of the 1,637 students who preregistered for the 26 lower division courses Offered, only 675 were admitted. ""We're just all so unhappy about this,"" said Doris Lidtke, Coordi-nator of Computer Science. ""We're here because we care about stu-dents, and it's not easy to say no to kids who want to take a course."" Students are selected on the basis of their credit hours completed and their major. Seniors and computer Majors are given priority. Lidtke said the problem is nationwide. ""Popular interest in computers has [exaggerated] our need,"" Lidtke said. ""We were not encouraged to build up in this field. It took us 10 years to' get' a com-puter science major."" Meeting every student's need is difficult for the computer science program. ""We don't want to play God,"" Lidtke said. ""It [Towson State] is a university and I think everyone should be encouraged [to enter the computer program]. It's a question of balancing between lim-ited resources and doing the best we can for the most students, to try and play Solomon, I guess."" Among the ""limited resources"" are faculty and equipment. Without more of each, Lidtke and others see the course shortage as being a long-term one. ""There are so few faculty mem-bers available,"" Lidtke said. ""Ph.D.'s in computer science are attracted to industry where salaries are at least double. We're actively recruiting ... and have done well considering the competition."" ""When I came here [in 1978], I was told the new computer system [due in the fall], would be here in a year or two,"" said John Grant, former Coordinator of Computer Science (1978-1982). ""I found that the computer system we had was very old already, really outdated. And yet it has taken the state years and years to get the new. equipment. I hope now it is final, and the equip-ment will be here,"" Grant said. ""That will help a great deal."" Ian with the possibility ot more faculty and a new computer system, 1983's students are not enthused. ""It's definitely difficult to get a computer course,"" said Michael Zachary, a junior computer lab monitor. ""A couple of my friends wanted to get into a COBAL course, here they are juniors and they're being passed over."" Zachary also feels the new computer ""will cause serious problems. [You] have to learn a whole new system and it will take some time."" ""Being that I need it [a computer course] for my major, you'd think I'd get priority,"" said Ed Gore, a junior business major. ""I'm running out of time."" Most students recognize the problems of faculty and equipment shortage, but don't see how future solutions can help them now. ""Here you want to learn, to do your part, to graduate, to get a step Something more than books for TSU students By Amy P. DeNike ""You will find something more in woods than in books,"" St. Bernard once said. ""Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from the Blasters."" The Towson State University early childhood educa-tion department heeded this saintly advice and took to the woods, while most University students returned to the classroom last Thursday. Twenty-five early childhood education majors, along with several faculty members from the department, spent their first day of classes among the trees and stones at Hashawha Environmental Appreciation Cen-ter in Carroll County, learning about themselves and each other. The one-and-a-half-day program, which premiered last semester, is designed to develop student-student and student-teacher interaction, said Barbara Pour, assis-tant professor of early childhood education and the Program's coordinator. ""The reason why I felt the trip was successful was that it enabled you to know the faculty and each other as People�not just as teachers or other students,"" said Mary Jonke, a junior early childhood major who attended the trip last semester. The other main goal of the orientation-style trip is to highlight the emphasis on process skills, such as obser-vation, which are an intricate part of the Block I early childhood education program, said Pour. ""In the course that is developed for the early childhood major, process and interpersonal skills play an essential role. We hope that through the program at Hashawha, we can expose the importance of these skills to the students and develop a basis for the course,"" said Pour. .The program at Hashawha this semester included a Wide variety of activities centering around getting acquainted with the self, the environment, and with one another. Courses in orienteering as well as participation in a ""confidence course"" consisting of several low-ropes activities emphasized risk-taking, reliance on others, and teamwork�those skills which the Block I program stresses, said Pour. Dr. Billy Hauserman, former dean of the education department, who currently teaches human relations at the University, was this semester's featured guest Speaker . ""Hauserman broke the ice�so to speak,"" said Pour. Hauserman's talk focused upon the traits a person in a helping profession needs to have, and also included a discussion on the examination and development of the self. In last semester's program and at Hashawha, the guest speaker was Ambrose Brazelton, a published author, poet and a retired award-winning movement educator from Ohio. In addition, Brazelton's records in physical and movement education are well known in edu-cational circles, said Pour. ""Ambrose was the perfect person to invite to our first program,"" said Pour. Brazel-ton's talk emphasized the importance of individuality, caring and love in the teaching profession. ""His talk was great�you came out of it feeling fantastic,"" said Lisa Yamin, a junior early childhood education major who attended the program in its first semester. In addition to Pour, Hauserman and the 25 students attending this year's program, several early childhood education department members also participated. Elea-nore Karfgin, assistant professor of early childhood education, Dr. Mary Blann, assistant professor of phys-ical education, and Dr. Robert Johnson, associate professor of physics, all combined to make the trip a success, according to Pour. ""It was a successful, good trip and I think it did a lot to get everyone acquainted �we all came away from it with a different, more caring feeling for one another,"" said Karfgin. Tracey Klass, a student who attended the program this year, came away from the experience with a positive attitude. ""It was a really fun and different experience. At first, nobody knew each other, but after awhile we all became warm and friendly and really a lot more open,"" said Klass. The idea for an orientation program at Camp Hasha-wha actually began in the spring of 1982 as an idea for an end-of-the-semester culminating activity for early childhood majors, said Pour. ""But the more we [the faculty members] talked about Hashawha and its possi-bilities for the development of all the skills we wanted, the more we began to see it as an orientation activity rather than a culminating one,"" Pour said. ""We decided we would risk taking students there last August, and just see how it would work,"" she said. ""Well, we really couldn't have been more pleased with the way it turned out,"" added Pour. Hashawha Environmental Appreciation Center was built in 1977 by the Cooperative Board of Education and the Board of Recreation in Carroll County. in the future,"" said Carol Nehus, a senior business major. ""I under-stand the lack of funds, but at the same time the students are being hurt."" Dr. Martin Horak, professor of mathematics and computer science, sees the shortage as being a ""long-term problem. ""The only thing I can say [to a prospective add student] is I'll put you on a waiting list, yet in reality I know only a few will get in [a course]."" Availability of open space is another problem the computer pro-gram faces. ""At preregistration this semester, we had 10 sections of 235 [Fundamentals of Computing], and this would accommodate 250 stu-dents; 826 requested the course. You see our problem,"" Lidtke said. ""When we sat there and turned away 600 kids in one course, it meant we need more faculty and a lot more equipment and space."" Lidtke looks to the state for more help. ""I would like to see the gov-ernor and his advisors give added emphasis to the development of high technology through the sup-port programs such as our computer science program."" Even with all the problems, Lidtke sees hope for the future. ""We will be creating new courses over time,"" Lidtke said. ""It [computers] is a growing, changing field, and we will be changing or modifying courses to reflect growth. We have a good base to build on, and I'm opti-mistic about the future at Towson."" Continuing Studies : informal By Shawn N. Hill Got a little free time? Throughout the spring semester, the College of Continuing Studies at Towson State will offer an expanded program of 75 different informal courses. The main concept behind the program, said Mary Lynn Heb-ler, coordinator of the Informal Course Program, ""is to offer some-thing for everyone."" The classes offered are noncredit courses and are designed for per-sonal enjoyment, education, and professional development. Most of the classes offered are unique from regular credit courses and are presented in a relaxed discussion atmosphere. The program has been offered in the past, however, ""it has grown tremendously since it first began,"" said Hebler. One recent improve-ment, Hebler added, ""is that we've begun to develop series of courses in which someone may take one or all of the classes offered."" Three series will be offered this spring. One con-sists of eight seminars on different aspects of China, another is titled ""For Women in the '80s,"" and the third is a 12-part lecture series on ""Fat Control."" The other courses offered cover a wide range of subjects from art, music, cooking, and fitness, to deal-ing with important contemporary issues, to developing personal and professional talents. Those who attend the classes, with the exception of one night course, will receive a certificate at the end of the course, and the University will award Continuing Education Units, units used to record continuing education experi-ences, to participants in selected courses. The cost of the courses is min-imal, ranging from $5 to $40, depending on the class. Because the classes start at different times throughout the semester, registration is from now until a particular class begins. Those interested in the courses should register at least a week before a class starts. Anyone want-ing to register or to learn more about the courses �Herod may get a booklet of the program and a reg-istration form from the College of Continuing Studies in this issue Women and the working world�an analysis page 2 Rusty Simpson looks at the Black Student Union's celebration of Black History Month page 3 Cindy Phillips gains MVP in TSU Invitational Tournament this past weekend at the Towson Center. Re-sults of tournament ......page 5 "