xt7h445hdw47 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7h445hdw47/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1976-11-05 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, November 05, 1976 text The Kentucky Kernel, November 05, 1976 1976 1976-11-05 2020 true xt7h445hdw47 section xt7h445hdw47 "Wiser/filicroiifl

NOV 5 1976

,. oi iientucky
Library

Univerm
Vol. LXVHI, Number 60
Friday, November 5, 1976

University of Kentucky

K3?” cl

Drop me a line...

Postal Service says mail flows smoothly

despite volume increase, employe cutbacks

By FRANKLIN RENFRO
Kernel Reporter

The UK Postal Service insists it
still gives prompt service to the
University community, even though
the volume of mail has risen 61 per
cent in the last five years without
any increase in employes.

“We did it through reorganization
of delivery points and routes,” said
Paul Nestor, director of business
services. “We reorganized our
boxes. We sort internallv so they, the
boxes coincide with our routes. We
reorganized our supervision. The
supervisors used to be more in-
volved in actual sorting and
delivering. Now they supervise
more.” 0

The post office added an extra
trudr and created a central campus
walking route. According to Nestor,
it used to take eight people to pick up
and deliver. Now only seven are
needed.

Nestor said two innovations by
post office officials have helped
tremendously. They developed a
charging system for campus
departments, which placed
responsibility for mailing costs on
the individual unit.

Before this system was started,
the post office was responsible for
billing the individual units. Nestor
devised a speed-sort index for bulk
mailing for the postal service. Ac-
cording to Nestor, sorting mail now
takes 30 minutes. where it used to
take half a day.

The postal service has 25 full time
employes.

Postal Service Manager Gerald
Greene said, “We are adequately
staffed. We deliver and pick up on
campus twice daily, in the morning
and the afternoon. This is to expedite
inter-office mail.

“A piece of mail that is sent in the
morning (an be delivered in the
afternoon." said Greene. “This can
give half day service on some mail
within the campus."

A Kernel reporter early Monday
afternoon sent 10 postcards ad-
dressed to the Kernel office from 10
different departments on campus.
One postcard arrived Tuesday
morning, the other nine were
delivered Wednesday morning. One
postcard. which was picked up as it
was sent, didn’t arrive until Wed-
nesday.

Greene said “I think that was
pretty much expected. Our truck
may have finished its route by the
time they were mailed. Not more

Mr. Baseball meets

Mr. Football

than 25 per cent of the campus mail
gets half-day service. That‘s why
most of the postcards didn‘t arrive
on Tuesday.

“Norma lly, you should get one day
service. A slight percentage of mail
on Monday may not get out."

According to Greene, 15,000 pieces
of mail leave campus and 25,000
pieces circulate on campus every
day. The mail is separated
manually. Meter machines are used
for outgoing mail.

“We have to sort campus and
federal mail," said Greene. “The
federal post office has a primary
breakdown of mail and this helps us
considerably. They separate the
campus mail, Medical Center, and
residence hall mail into different
trays."

UK post office employes help the
federal mail service in the
preparation of mail leaving campus,
Greene said.

“The city post office delivers and
picks up mail from us several times
a day,” Nestor said.

A University Press secretary said
“We don't find the postal service
convenient. We’re not sure when the
postmcn are coming in the afternoon
so we can have our letters ready for
them. We're lucky, being so close to
the post office, but running over
there uses up the time of our per-
sonnel.

“We get mail that's not for us,"
she said “We get anything with
‘press’ on it, like Press Whalen or
Press Avenue.”

They all agreed, however, that the
UK Postal Service was no worse than
any mail service in town. “You'll
always get negative comments
about the post office," one secretary
said. “It's like income tax or
telephone service."

Nestor and Greene both said they
receive very few complaints about
the postal service.

Several department secretaries
were displeased with the campus
postal service. One secretary in the
methematics department said “We
send out letters airmail and it often
takes eight weeks to get there. We
have to call people and send
telegrams to them because letters
never get there."

Greene said “To say we never
misplace a piece of mail would be
ridiculous. but there are 50 chances
for a piece of mail to get lost. We're
only one chance.“

“We get a lot of mail that doesn't
belong to us," said a secretary in the
English department.

an independent student newspaper

—Alan O'Neil

Queen for a day

The l'K Wildcat mascor. congratulates Leigh Sexton. nursing

junior. as she is named 1976 Homecoming Queen at a Commonwealth
Stadium pep rally last night. Sexton is a native of Louisville and was
sponsored in the contest by Blazcr Hall. She will be recognized during
halftime of tomorrow‘s football game. The mascot is played by Gary

Tanner.

Urged by committee

Lexington, Kentucky

Carroll cancels lease

of storage warehouse

FRANKFURT [Al’l— Kentucky
Finance and Administration
Secretary Russell McClure said
Thursday he has carried out the
instructions of Gov. Julian Carroll to
cancel the state’s lease of a
Lexington warehouse.

A special committee named by
Carroll to review the controversial
lease recommended Wednesday that
the state exercise its right of 90day
notice of cancellation and put the
state’s need for additional storage
space out to bid.

The committee left open the
possibility that the lease eventually
could still be negotiated with the
same corporation, headed by
Lexingotn attorney Robert S. Miller,
Carroll's 1975 campaign chairman.

Under the lease effective Oct. 1,
the state would pay Miller‘s com—
pany, Development Land Go, up to

$320,496 per year with renewal
privileges up to five years.

The first-year lease payments
would fall a few thousand dollars
short of the $335,884 purchase price
paid by Miller. The property was
purchased the same day the lease
was signed with the state.

McClure signed the lease without
advertising the state‘s need for
leased space, contending that an
emergency existed involving the
need for storage space.

The special investigative panel
also recommended Wednesday that
a three-member board be appointed
by the Lexington realtors
association to review any bids that
are submitted.

In the event there are no other
bids. the panel would review the
existing lease with Miller‘s firm to
determine whether the terms of the
lease are fair.

Translation service unlocks

mysteries of language

By JUDITH FERRIELI.
Kernel Reporter

Equipped with a typewriter good
for 12 languages and a staff of 5060
who can‘ translate 17 languages,
Terry Parks and Marie-Jeanne Wets
have organized a private business
called The Lexington Translation
Service.

AMA encourages business of marketing

By BETSY PEARCE
Kernel Staff Writer

Less than two years ago, a group
of UK students discussed forming an
organization for those interested in
the various aspects of marketing.
Today, the American Marketing
Association (AMA) boasts a mem-
bership of almost 140 students.

Mark Fenzel, public relations
director, said AMA’s purpose is to
“encourage all aspects of business
related to the marketing of a
product. This is for students inter-
ested in the marketing dimension of
anything from accounting to art."

)

o

lkiug Flynn. utility infielder for the world champion
('incinnati Reds.chats with UK head football coach Fran

(‘nrci during last night‘s pep rally. I-‘lynn. who attended
(”it five years ago. was the grand marshall of the

Homecoming parade..

Fenzel explained that AMA‘s pro-
gram is designed to familiarize
students with the concepts of mar-
keting a product from its origin to its
presentation to the consumer. “You
can learn a lot more about the field
you‘re interested in through mar-
keting,“ he said.

In the first two weeks of school this
year, Fenzel said AMA’s member-
ship tripled. “We had a cocktail
party during our membership drive,
and since then we have gone from 48
members to around 140.

“There are not requirements for
membership, other than a desire to
learn about outside business enter-
prise and to fill a social need,"
Fenzel said.

AMA‘s only source of income is a
$5-per-semester membership fee.
The national AMA supplies UK’s
chapter with books and film.

AMA President Jack Heil got
involved with the group last fall
when he went to one of the member-
ship parties. Since UK‘s business
school offers no marketing degree,
ileil said the organization was
started to emphasize marketing
procedures.

According to Fenzel, last year‘s
AMA “wasn‘t much" until Heil put it
together. “It’s hard to organize a
club that‘s not really structured,“ he
said. Even Heil admitted that much
reorganization was needed from last
year.

“What we've done this year is
break up into committees and lined
up speakers and field trips," he said.
Although meetings are not held on a
regular basis, members are kept
informed about activities through a
newsletter and “phone chain," by
which the publicity committee calls
them.

“One of the things we saw wrong
last year was in communications.“
Heil said. “This year we‘re trying to
keep everyone. in touch through

weekly ads in the Kernel, posters
and other means.”

Heil said that he wants AMA to
stay on a personal, informal basis.
“We try to be conscious of where the
student’s at by meeting on a casual
level and getting right to the point of
discussion.”

Another aim of the AMA is to
stress faculty participation at social
events. According to Heil, faculty
attendence is increasing with each
event. “We’ve been told that if we
prove we have a purpose, the faculty
will want to help us more," he said.

One faculty member who has not
only helped the AMA but conceived
the idea for it is faculty adviser
Gerry Linda.

Linda came to UK two years ago
and found there was no AMA. He
asked his students if they would be
interested in such an organization
and saw there was an interest for it.
The UK chapter began operating in
the spring of 1975.

AMA takes up a lot of Linda's
time, but he doesn't mind. “I like it a
lot — it gives students a chance to
see what marketing is like, as well
as interaction with responsibility,
and working with money," he said.
“I know it’s a very useful, interest-
ing thing.”

Linda said he plays ”as small a
role as l possibly can, as a liason for
the outside world. I‘m just here
when they need me -— the door‘s
always open and the phone's always
ringing.“

A “vigorous“ program is planned
for this semester. Three speakers
are scheduled for November, in-
cluding representatives from IBM,
Bank Management Consultants ahd
Merrill Lynch. They will talk about
subjects ranging from developing
products to investments and securi-
ties.

Continued on page In

According to Parks, all assign-
ments are confidential and may
vary from a simple love letter to
highly technical company contracts
or research material. Service
employes translate material for
local companies with international
dealings, prepare promotional

literature for Gov. Julian Carroll for
use abroad, act as interpreters for
conferences and often serve as tour
guides for foreign visitors.

Parks said he thinks service of this
nature is needed and beneficial.
“Because linguisitic barriers often
limit trade opportunities and
communication with fellow
researchers, it is advantageous to
offer a sevcice that provides
prompt, accurate copy written in
correct linguitic styles of the in-
dustries and countries for which
they are directed,” he said.

Few students are employed, ac-
cording to Parks, because the
majority of work requires not only
an adept tra nsla tor but also a person
with a professional specialty.

Staff members are paid per
assignment. The charges for
translation range from four cents a
word to $32 a page, depending on the
technicality and the strictness of the
translation.

The major difficulty encountered
is “the differences in meaning due to
regional usage," Parks said. For
example, the Arabic phrase “Allah
atak al afiah” in Lebanon means
"May God give you strength.“ But in
Morocco, the same phrase is in-
terpreted to mean “May God burn
down your house.”

 

Home-cccoming

For the first time in a long while.
the Kentucky Wildcats' Home-
coming football gamc could be
played in the snow. That's right.
snow is a definite possibility for
Saturday‘s football game. as
well as the Homecoming festivi-
ties. A warming trend is ex-
pected to roll in tonight. but if it
doesn't. take blankets to the
ballgarnc. Here is the forecast:
cloudy and cold today. with
snow [lorries likely. High in the
low 40’s. with winds gusting
10-15 mph. Partly cloudy and
cold tonight. low in the upper
20‘s. Sunny and warmer tomor-
row. high in the upper 40's.

 

 

 

 

  

 

editorials 8: comments

Editorials do not represent the opinions of the University

utter-trend
Glnny Edwards

Editorial Editor
Walter lllxsun

Hunt-u Editor
John Winn Miller

Letters suemmusmbeuduuuummulu. loo- IMJoannh m
spaced and signed with name. adieu and telephone number. Letters cannot exceed us words and 0

west.

Assistant Mom PM
Ill “u Mouser
Olen Gabriel

(‘on [Dillon
Suzanne Wham
Dirk [Mr
Steve lalllnler

Joules-o

Arts Idiot
Mlle Slum

(‘blot Plunges!"
Ste-art ”man

until-tn Isla—
Ales Into

Prod-colon In."
Leslie Crete-bot

.M Inst helm. if“
“nun-immune

 

Government promotes

nuclear proliferation

 

“Nuclear plants are “atomic
lemons" and “their unreliability
is becoming one of their most
dependable features.”—Wall St.
Journal

 

 

 

This is the last of three Kernel
editorials on nuclear energy.

Rapid expansion of the
unregulated nuclear energy
industry has opened the door for
proliferation acros the globe of
potentially devastating nuclear
weapons.

As the forerunner of nuclear
energy development some 20
years ago, the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission laun-
ched Atoms for Peace. It was
established under the premise
that nuclear power could be
suitably used for energy pur-
poses without promoting
proliferation. Clearly, this is a
misnomer.

India exploded a nuclear
device in 1974, as Israel has
done. Both were manufactured
from plutonium extracted from

"peaceful" nuclear reactors.
Now some 30 nations are ex-
pected to have nuclear
capability by the 1980’s.

Such nations as Brazil,
Argentine, Taiwan and Iran
have plans for large-scale
nuclear reprocessing plants for
separation of plutonium from
used nuclear fuel. Many of these
nations are not signers of the
Nonproliferation 'lreaty.

And with the resources and
easily accessible knowledge, the
smallest nations, terrorist
groups or even individuals can
tap a crude nuclear weapon for
atomic blackmail.

As a nation with perhaps the
greatest economic influence,
through unparalled trade
powers, the U.S. could take steps
to regulate international nuclear
proliferation.

Instead, the U.S. government
has promoted it.

For example, the United
States agreed “it principle”
with Iranfor shared construction
of a 27.6 billion nuclear energy
project.

Westinghouse and General
Electric will build half the
facility which the Shah promises

Consumers-focus

Unique comics teach

consumer protection

By BRUCE W. SINGLETON

In our younger days, when our
tastes ran toward the less esoteric
art forms, many of us will admit to
having been devotees of the comic
book. I was one, anyway.

In those days. when comic books
cost a dime, it was easy to have a
stack as tall as you were ta feat
which, in my case, wasn't very
difficult.)

There would be times when we
would take off our holsters and
cowboy hats and don the costumes of
the super heroes. My favorite was
Batman.

Whenever we would play, I got to
portray the caped crusader because
my first and middle names (Bruce
Wayne) are coincidentally that of
Batman‘s secret identity.

One of my little brothers would be
Robin, and the other would be
Superman. who (as I always con-
structed the plot) inevitably had to
be rescued from the green Krypto
nite.

Because of this background, Jef-
ferson County‘s newest experiment
in consumer education strikes me as
particularly appealing. They‘re put-
ting out a consumer comic book.

The appearance of the comic book
is deceptive. Its tens stories. drawn
primarily in the underground comic
book style, use characters ranging
from Helga the Hen to V2 :ent the
Teahag.

Its message, however, comes
across loud and clear: if the
consumer doesn‘t know the law, it
won‘t be used. And. if you don‘t put it
in a form which the consumers will
read, they will never know their
rights.

“It‘s been our observation that
people who most need consumer
information need it in a form which
they can most readily use and in a
form that will stay with them. This

comic book is very easily understood
and easy to recall," said David
Vandeventer, Jefferson County Con--
sumer Protection Department di-
rector and pilot of the project.

This message kind of reminds me
of the Quaker Life cereal commer-
cial. You know, the one that has
“Mikey“ eating the cereal because
he doesn’t know it‘s supposed to be
good for him.

Or Bill Cosby beginning his car-
toon show by saying, “You better
watch out, or you just might learn
something."

“The comic book is a lot more2
sophisticated than it would appear
at first," Vandeventer said. “The
stories were selected very carefully
to reflect the problems which are,
most common among those con-
sumers with lower incomes, lower
education.

“That‘s been the intent, and so far,
it's been accomplished very well."

Several of the stories involve
financing of one form or another.
Others cover more general Ken-
tucky Consumer law.

“Mail Order Blues" depicts a
family joining record and book
clubs. The problems this family
finds encourages the reader to
consider the average price, finance
charges, and the like before sending,
away for “Four books free, ten more
at the regular price."

One interesting piece of informa-
tion comes from the little girl who
tells her daddy. “You might be able
to buy any of these records cheaper
at a local store. Stores hardly ever
charge the full ‘list’ price for
records.

"And the books are ‘book club
editions' which might mean an
inferior printing method or cheaper
paper, but still at full ‘retail‘
prices.“

Another story explores the prob
lems of correspondence-trade

will be used only for peaceful
purposes.

This is unbelievable. Iran is
rich in oil reserves which belies
their need for nuclear power as
an energy source. Secondly, a
promise from the same Shah
who ruthlessly jails his critics is
hardly credible.

Similarly, the U.S. and the
Soviet Union have spurred
proliferation by their intense
arms battle.

As world leaders of their
respective ideologies, the U.S.
and the Russians hasten nuclear
development, and consequently
proliferation, through their
competitive and senseless stock-
piling of nuclear weaponry.

The U.S. hasn’t given any
indication of reversing the policy
of promoting nuclear
proliferation. Overseas sales are
far too lucrative togive up— even
at the expense of safeguarding
world peace.

And at home, a $1 billion
project by the government and
Allied Chemical Corp. in South
Carolina is designed to deter-
mine the reliability of plutonium
reprocessing, which would
further speed proliferation.

 

 

 

 

 

Arguments that proliferation
is too far advanced in-
ternationally to be stopped are
without basis.

Not only can the U.S. use
economic leverage through
trade and assistance programs,
but several other influential
nations wary of proliferation
would likely support regulatory
efforts.

At home, the government
needs to take a long, com-
prehensive look at nuclear
energy development. Corporate
control, free of government
regulation has failed

Copywrite. 1975, Wisconsin Department ot Justice and Iron Comic Works. inc. Used by permission.

schools. It stars Toad, who, “In an
effort to support his wife and 256
unplanned-for kids. has gone out into
the world to get a job."

Yet another story presents the
threeday “coolingoff” period, a
part of Kentucky door-to-door sales
law few people are familiar with.

This experiment was first con-
ducted last year in Wisconsin, but
Jefferson County is the first in the
nation to distribute the comic books
on such a wide scale.

Ten thousand copies were printed
and distribution began in the Jeffer-
son County public schools two weeks
ago when the first shipment rolled
off the presses.

A consciousness study is presently
being done. The results of this study
will be compared with studies to be
made after the program has been
taught in the schools to determine

the comic book‘s effect.
Circulation, at least at this early
date, will be primarily limited to

Jefferson County. Copies of the
comic book will be made available to
educators outside the county, how-
ever, on request.

The problem is money. Only ten
thousand copies were printed, and.
at present, there is no plan for a
second printing.

There is, however, a chance more
will be printed later.

The results of this experiment
should prove valuable. Its approach
is a positive one: one that will serve
as an example, not only for Ken-
tucky, but for the rest of the nation.

 

Bruce Singleton is a secondyear law.

student. Ills column appears every

Friday.

dangerously at directing nuclear
policy.

Furthermore, the nuclear
industry has compromised
reasonable safety considerations
to maximize profits.

And the wholly undetermined
means for waste disposal— there
simply is no means to rid the
environment of nuclear waste-—
promises to remain a critical
consideration.

The prevailing policy of blind
exparsion of nuclear energy—
without due consideration to
power proliferation, plant

Letters from the editor

By WALTER HIXSON

WASHINGTON— A unique blend
of mass bureaucracy and southern
charm makes Washington, DC, a
special place and, of course,
Tuesday, Nov. 2 madeit seem all the
more special.

0

Not surprisingly, the election was
the central source of discussion
early in the morning of Nov. 2.
Coffee shops and Metro buses were
buzzing with election speculation.

They gave out red, white and blue
buttons at the polls in Washington
which read simply “I voted.“
Ilundreds of people in the streets
were wearing them by 9 am.

0

I thought it might be interesting to
see what happens at theWhite House
on election day, so, I went one quick
tour. The White House garden,
fortified and expanded by Jackie
Kennedy Onassis, was the first stop.

The flowers were vibrant with a
sparkling color that made them look
fake. It was the kind of garden that
could only be kept up by impeccable
care and lots of tax dollars.

0

I went through the Red, Blue. and
Green moms in addition to the East
andStatedinning rooms. You can be
quite ignorant of quality furniture
and stillk now it when you see it. The
predominantly French furnishings
of the White House were striking in
design and color. More tax dollars.

Throughout the public White
Horse tour, which only covered the
first floor, paintings of past
presidents were everywhere.
George Washington was the leader
with aboutlive portraits; there were
three of Abe Lincoln and one of
almost all the presidents. Except
Nixon. Hmm.

O

Ropes seal the hallwaypassages
forming a tour lane through the
White House. Everything can be
seen but nothing is touched. The
Secret Service sees to that. I counted
more than 20 agents during the to
minute tour; they all had walkie-
lalkies and hawkish. shiffty eyes.

"How many of you are there," I
asked one agent.

CLARENCE NIXSON

safety, pollution, use of
plutonium for fissiox‘n bombs and
unresolved waste disposal-
must be reversed rather than
promoted.

The alternative is worldwide
proliferation which can only end
in nuclear insanity.

 

“There is no practical solution for
protecing our generation. much
less our children's and grand-
children‘s. from the immense
accumulation of lethal wastes
that are inevitable in the nuclear
power industry."—llalph Nader.

It

,.,
zy
“A |ot,"’he said.

0

“How many is a lot."

Hawkeyes shifted. “I don‘t want
to talk about it,“ he said.

Security. I guess.

A tremendous Tuesday night
gathering at the massive Sheraton
Park Hotel (more than 1,500 rooms)
in Washington was billed as the
Republican victory party. Aides and
followers of the GOP ticket con-
verged en masse to the hotel on Nov.
2.

They partied heavily in the Grand
Ballroom that night, but by 3 am.
the crowd had dwindled and the few
remaining die-bards stood around
looking forlorn.

Hugh O‘Brien, Mike Connors.
Lionel Hampton and other stars
tried to cheer them up. It didn't work
too well.

Ford and Dole were supposed to
make an appearance at the
ballroom, but the President was at
the White House drinking hot tea
with honey trying to recover his lost
voice.

I wasn‘t surprised that Jerry
didn’t show. Earlier a member of
the President Ford committee told
me that Ford would speak only to
claim victory. But it would have
been nice to hear the President
speak.

As for Dole,well, I had heard
enough bad jokes already.

0

The President’s day started off
badly and continued to get worse.
First he lost his voice and then he
was forced out of a short nap when a
White House aid forgot to open the
danperin a fireplace which filled the
room with smoke.

Finally, having to spend the day
with Nelson "The Bird” Rockefeller,
John “Pass the Milk" Connally.
Robert “I Lost My Arm in a
Democractic War" Dole and Joe
“Wanm Buy a Dodge" Garagiola
couldnt have helped much.

Maybe Ford won’t miss the
presidency.

 

Walter Ilixson is editorial editor.

 

  

 

SON

of
~ and
al—
than

i wide
end

for
uch
1 nd.
nse
stes
lear
der.

want

night
raton
ums)
s the
s and
con-
Nov.

.rand

am.
e few
round

nors,
stars
work

ed to
the
as at
Ii tea
is lost

Jerry
am of
~ told
nly to
have
'ident

heard

‘1 off
orse.
en he
hena
n the
edthe

e day
eller,
nally.
in a
Joe
= giola

the

 

 

W

Ignorance

comments

 

is basis

for nuclear editorial

By B. MUNIVEERAPPA

The first editorial in the Kentucky Kernel on
Nuclear Energy was one of the most biased
and misinformed articles on Nuclear energy
that I have ever read.

Right from the beginning of the article it is
very clear that the editors have sided with the
anti- nukes who are misinformed
propagandists, butfortunately, only a handful
of people in the country.

I wantto remind that there are technologies
which are equally devastating to the human
race if they are not channelled in the right
direction. Genetic research and toxicology
are two examples. So it is quite untrue to label
Nuclear technology as ‘potentially the most
devastating concept of the century.’

The editorial leaves the readers completely
in doubt as to the necessity of nuclear energy.
It is a fact that nuclear energy is a reliable
source of energy, as can be inferred from
experience in nuclear industry during the last
two decades.

Nuclear energy is required now and will be
required during the next twenty years more
than it has ever been, due to the energy crisis,
which is inevitable even with the adoption of
the most stringent energy conservation
program.

 

commentary

 

The most blatant false statement in the
editorial article is, ‘The industry has far too
relaxed safety standards for a very simple
reason-money.’ In actuality the safety
standards have been made stricter and
stricter during the short history of the nuclear
industry.

To mention one instance, the present per-
missible radiation releaseat the plant fence is
5 millirems per year whereas in 1970 the
same fig‘uure was 500Wnillirems. The 56 US

I might add that it is not the nuclear in-
dustry but an independent federal agency, the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission that writes
the safety standards for the nuclear industry.

Furthermore, the NRC looks into each and
every aspect of a nuclear plant right from its
initiation on paper to its design, construction,
and operation and maintenance. There is no
way a nuclear power plant can go into
operation without getting a clean bill of health
from the NRC.

It is gross injustice to say that the nuclear
industry does as little as possible to ensure
safety when as a matter of fact a large
number of safety research studies have been
and are being undertaken by the industry

itself at entrmous expense. The industry
cares for the safety of the public just as much
as it does for its economic sustenance.

The most authentic study lWASll~l-l()0)
about the safety of the present nuclear power
plants in the IRS. was madeby a distinguished
scientist, Professor Norman (T. Rasmussen of
MIT and his group.

One of the important findings in the report is
that the likelihood of nuclear reactor ac-
cidents is much smaller than that of many
non-nuclear accidents having similar con-
sequences.

All non-nuclear accidents examined in this
study, including fires, explosions, toxic
chemical releases, dam failures, airplane
crashes, earthquakes, hurricanes and tor-
nadoes are, much more likely to occur and
can have consequences comparable to, or
larger than, those of nuclear accidents.

From experience and studies it is inferred
that safety measures provided in the nuclear
plants are the most efficient and the most
elaborate.

One d the ploys that the anti-nuclear
propagandists use is their public-scaring
argument about radio-active waste disposal.
There are two potentially clean and safe
methods for waste disposal.

One being, shooting the waste into outer
space forever; though this method looks
simple, it might be expensive.

The second method involves burial of
wastes underground in stable geologic for-
mations such as granite, desert soil, or salt
beds, in thick glass casks.

It is reported (EPRI Journal July 1976) that
the present state of art is quite capable of
doing this job. Anyone who doubts this
technique of radio-active waste disposal
would be the most pessimistic, and who takes
cynical attitude about the capabilities of
science.

The view expressed in the editorial article

about the outcome ongroposition 15 in,
& {h g?! i- " California last June is ridiculous.
‘ “plan now meet 15 ton standard “ " ”' '

‘ ‘lt'i's Well k‘fi‘divn that pe‘dbie ignorant of The
true and complete facts about nuclear power
lend to think of it as a dangerous technology.
which is an aftershoot of the fact that the
public was exposed to nuclear power age at
the end of World War II by the atomic
bombings.

Therefore, I believe it is an obligation of the
nuclear industry to tell the public about the
benefits and limitations of nuclear
technology. especially when the issue of
survival of the industry Is put into vote.

It is just not right to call this effort ‘an in-
tense lobby effort'

 

B. Muniveerappa is a department of
Irrechanieal engineering graduate student.

Annual Ginkgo Festival set

Drat! Another year has gone by, another
year of toil a nd hassle and perhaps a few steps
closer to that realm we all imagine is just
beyond our fleeting glance—old age.

For just one moment put yourself out of that
achievement oriented perspective of
university life and into the cosmic awareness
of the question “why am I here” and “what
was before all this.“

Such philosophical inquiry is of the highest
order (1 man’s ability to deal with his
situation. With this. man has come up with
some of the most profoundest of thoughts,
none of which are so far contained in this
article.

 

commentary

 

Once again, we find ourselves at that ap
pointed time of year to observe a phenomenon
which has come to be known as the annual
Ginkgo Festival.

The event consists of a basic but hardy
group of perple who gather to commemorate
the antiquity of a form of life now numbering
140 million years in age

This fact boggles the minds of some of our
lesser brethern every year, but, nonetheless
attests to this tree 5 duration and durability.

What on n be expected ofsuch an event as the
Ginkgo Festival Is the humble revelation to us
of a tree undergoing yet another great
“moment in its existence, a moment not
unlike other gret moments in our lifetime,

. for Sunday at historic tree

moments such as Roger Maris hitting his 61st
home run of a season.

Such great moments were always com-
memorated on baseball cards in the “great
moments in baseball ' series.

There would be a picture of Roger Maris
hitting his 6lst home run over the right field
fence wi