November 2, 1973
tower light
Volume XXVII No. 9 Towson State College Towson, Md. 21204
photo by Sam Duklewski
BSU president Sonny Gasden explains the proposed teach-in on racism.
Sfill must go to Academic Council:
Standards committee approves
120 credits plus competencies
Teach-in fund request
fails in senate
By Sue DeBolt
After numerous debates over
whether to separate or combine
the questions of reducing
graduation hours ' and
establishing competencies, the
Academic Standards committee
has voted to merge the two
proposals-
Although the concept has been
approved actual wording of the
proposal has not. The proposed
wording of the motion is “that
the 120-hour graduation
requirement as presented be
approved to become effective in
September, 1974, and that
departments involved be
required to devise competency
Proxmire
to speak
Senator William Proxmire will
lecture on economy at Towson
State College on November 3,
1973. He will speak at 8 p.m. in
the Stephens Hall Auditorium.
Not only an advocate of
greater efficiency in allocating
federal money, Proxmire has
also been an opponent to the
federally funded SST and to the
space shuttle program.
Proxmire also criticized the
administration after early 1966
for their failure to end American
involvement in Viet Nam.
Proxmire was elected to the
U.S. Senate in 1957. to fill the
seat opened by the death of Joe
McCarthy.
expectations and testing
methods in the areas of
mathematical reasoning, speech,
written composition, and reading
and verbal reasoning by
February 1, 1974, and that the
Academic Standards Committee
study these recommendations
and implement them by
September, 1974.”
Council must approve
The proposal will now go to the
Academic Council for approval,
and will probably be voted upon
in the group’s December
meeting.
That 120-hour requirement was
submitted by the Sub-Committee
to Study Graduation
Requirements, and recommends
that: First, 120 hours of the
earned grade of C or better are
required for graduation from
Towson State College, and that
English 30.102, Freshman
Composition or the equivalent
must be included in the 120
hours. The grades of PA. PE,
and S are considered equivalent
grades of C, and may be counted
toward graduation within the
established credit limits of the
College’s academic policies;
second, an earned grade of D
will fulfill the College’s
requirements for general
education in any course elected
for that purpose. However. D’s
will not count toward the
minimum requirement of 120
credits of C; Third, the above
regulations apply to both native
and transfer students; fourth,
the current definitions of the
grades of A.B.C.D. and NC are
not changed: fifth, in the P-NC
option, a student earning a grade
of D will receive an NC.
Shaw t for separation
Although i of the
Standards Commniee, Dean
Kenneth Shaw. called for
separation due to his concern
over establishing a specific date
to obtain the competencies, the
committee appeared to feel that
adequate competencies could be
set up by the February deadline.
Professor Linda Sweeting also
reminded the Committee of an
earlier remark made by Dr.
Herbert Andrews that the
Committee’s charge was to
reduce hours plus raise
standards. Although Student
( Continued to Page 7 )
The Towson State College SGA
will sponsor a benefit basketball
game tonight in Burdick Gym,
with proceeds going towards the
student Dav Care Center.
The event will feature a game
between the SGA and the college
administration, as well as a
game between women students
of Towson and womep faculty
and administrative personnel. It
has been said in some circles
that this womens game will
By Sue DeBolt
Senate voted against allocating
any funds to the Black Student
Union and the Students for a
Democratic Society for a
scheduled teach-in , which would
be sponsored by the United Front
Against Racism.
The groups requested $2,500
with $1,500 for speakers. $700 for
publicity, and $300 for film. Out
of these figures. BSU asked for
$2,000 while SDS called for $500.
Since the United Front Against
Racism was not a Student
Government Organization, they
could not request money from
senate so that SGA sponsored
groups within the coalition had to
ask for the money.
Motion splits funding .
Senator Bob Arnold sponsored
the motion which called for
senate to allocate $600 from the
speakers fund for speakers, and
$300 from the movie fund, for
films and also called for a
recommendation to the Student
Services Fee Governing Board
that they allocate $900 for the
speakers and $700 for publicity.
In presenting the request. BSU
president Sonny Gasden
explained that the teach-in.
which would include films,
speakers and seminars, “was
important because people do not
realize racism still exists on
campus. ” One of the spokesman
for the coalition Tom Manley
explained that “racism is an
ideology coming out actively in
classrooms and society.” and
that funds were not requested
simply “to spend money or have
an activity.”
David Nevins. Ann Marie
Lowe, and Paul Pittman,
senators who voted against the
measure, all agreed that the
presentation was unorganized
and vague. However, Nevins and
Lowe both praised the idea of the
teach-in. Lowe said she liked
the idea as it was
‘‘constructive’’ and
“benefitted students.”
Pittman said that he felt that
the request had been sent to the
easily be the highlight of the
evening.
During halftime, several door
prizes will be awarded, and the
Towson State College Dance
Company, under the direction of
Helene Breazele, will give a five
minute performance.
Tickets cost 50 cents, and can
be obtained from any SGA
senator or other officer in the
SGA area of the College Center.
Play by play coverage will also
be offered by WATS.
senate with very little
background information, and
that it had been presented too
hastily. Secondly, he resented
the attitude that was brought by
the group to the meeting.
“W’e asked them questions,
and then were told that it was
none of our business. However,
as student representatives
elected by the students, it is our
business to know where every
penny goes.”
Tighten purse stringsTighten
“It's time we tighten our purse
strings in senate, and be a little
more responsible to those
students who are paying.” he
said.
Treasurer Ken Nelson
described the presentation as
unfulfilling on both sides He
also called the judgement a
"feelings decision."
Rick Danoff. president of the
SGA. praised the senate for their
job of interogating. At the end of
the senate meeting. SGA
vice-president Allen Mosely
charged the senators to think
over their decision.
Senate labelled racist
Coalition representative Willy
Mahone called "the outcome a
result of the existence of racism
in the senate.” and said that “it
showed a need for the conference
at Towson: He said that he found
the questions “insulting" and
was personallv upset because' the
queries were "racist.”
Manley said that the questions
were more badgering than
important. Calling the senators
“arrogant.” Mahone said “they
put themselves above the
average student."
Mahone said that the group
would be back next week to
request funds and would provide
more concrete information.
According to the coalition
representative, the teach-in will
take place regardless of whether
funding is forth -coming.
Two positions vacated
In other senate business.
David Ghee and Bob Arnold
resigned, and replacements will
be voted upon at the next senate
meeting. Eric Martin was
elected to a junior class senate
position, which had been vacated
by Konrad Herling. and Virginia
Palermo was elected to fill the
at-large senate position left
vacant by Pat Cunningham
Ghee also resigned from
Academic Council, and was
replaced by Chris Edwards.
Nevins reported on the senate
policy committee, and said their
report on the SSFGB would
probably be forthcoming in two
weeks.
Benefit ballgame
schedule tonight