xt7jws8hhs66 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7jws8hhs66/data/mets.xml The Kentucky Kernel Kentucky -- Lexington The Kentucky Kernel 1977-02-15 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 15, 1977 text The Kentucky Kernel, February 15, 1977 1977 1977-02-15 2020 true xt7jws8hhs66 section xt7jws8hhs66 Tuesday. February 15. 1977

Gas shortagacltad
Oil, reserves dip;

Coal still

By DICK GABRIEL
Assistant Managing Editor

The university was placed in a
state (1' partial dQendence on its oil
reserves because of the recent cold
shock, despite three 840,000 gallon
oil shipments from Ashland Oil
Refineries.

Jim Wessels. Physical Plant
Division director, said 22,000 gallons
of reserve oil have been burned this
winter, leaving UK with a reserve of
100,tll0 gallons.

Wessels said the current warmer
weather conditions have allowed a
slowdown in fuel consumption.

UK also has 6,000 tons of coal on
reserve, and according to Wessels.
the coal bumers on the Upper Street
plant will be operating for ap-
proximately two more weeks.

The burners are still being used
pursuant to a waiver from the air
pollution cmtrol board, but Wessels
said the waiver is not indefinite.

The boilers had been idle since
being used for four days in 1975.
Before that they had not been burn-
ing since 1973 when UK was told they
did not meet pollution control board
air quality standards.

The rise in temperatures has
caused a reduction of the oil ship-
ments. “They (Ashland Oil) have
some pretty high priorities

burning

elsewhere,” said Wessels.

Private homes, nursing homes
and hospitals currently rate as the
highes priorities, according to Don
Rooks, Ashland Oil spokesman.
Rooks said fud oil production has
been maximized and that production
of petroleum products such as
gasoline, kaisene, petric chemicals
and asphalt have been minimized.

Surprisingly, the cold wave has
not hindered oil production. “We’ve
been fortunate in that fact,” said
Rooks. “We’ve continued operations
very well. The people out there
working in the refineries now are
doing one hell of a jo .”

But the fuel shortage was not a
surprise, Rooks said. “We’ve been
predicting this for years. If we don’t
get on the ball and get some in-
centives for finding natural gas, this
is going to (continue to) happen.

“We’re not crying wolf. The wolf is
at the door,” he said.

Rooks said there are currently
very few incentives for finding
natural gas because the profit
margin is so low. He said it would
take a driller 20 years to recover his
initial investment.

“Prices are unreasonably low,”
he said. “There’s no incentive, no
reasm to want to drill. You don't go
into business as a public service
unless you can make a profit on it."

KENTUCKY

Vol. LXVIII. Number m . Ker

an independent student newspaper

Hearts

m... .-

NewspaperYMicrofexi

FEB 151977

6.,

University of Kentucky
library

University of Kentucky
Lexington. Kentucky

, i? is; $6 to re-examine
insurance issue

5.. 3‘9.

—a.nigin

Chris Nail. a [K sophomore, and Melody Mullen. :1 Georgetown fresh-
man. fend off the cold weather with warm conversation during a
leisurely Valentine's Day stroll in front of the Administration Building.

New learning

Education takes a unique direction f

By CHAS MAIN
Kernel Staff Writer

This year, approximately 60
students at Fayette County‘s four
high schools are trying a new ap-
proach to education. They are
participating in a unique program
designed to help bridge the gap
between classroom and community.

The program, Experience Based
Career Education (EBCE), was
developed experimentally in 1971
a nd has since been tried successfufly
in several school systems across the
nation.

Fayette County’s EBCE was
modeled on a successful pilot
program in Tigard, 0re., after a
local team of observers went there
lastyear. That team consisted of one
teacher and one principal from each
county high school.

In the EBCE program, students
are given the oppurtunity to earn
credit toward graduation by
working at various jobs in the
community. Each student is
required to “explore" two jobs in
each 12-week trimester. In addition,

 

stocky

if he has not already met academic
credit requirements in a given
subject area, he can earn them by
completing special projects in that
area and taking tests called
“competencies." .

There are 14 students in the
program at Henry Clay High School,
and they are supervised by Paula
Pope. She explained how jobs are
found for the students.

Local employers help

“We spent a lot of time trying to
find the right employers to work
with and help the kids in the com-
munity," she said. “We call these
people our community instructors.
if a student has an interest in a
particular area, we try to find a
community instructor to work with
him in that area."

Pope has students working in a
number of different capacities. A
couple work as telephone operators
at Ask Us. inc. Others are taking
classes at UK and Transylvania
College, and one is working as a
student teacher at an elementary
school. she said.

These students spend part of each
day at school: they use the
remainding time for their jobs or
college classes. Pope said. They are
required to keep personal joumals—
at ieasttwo pages each week—which
Pope checks periodically.

The students also participate in
“Employ er Seminars." according to
Pope.

“Whenever possible, we try to
have people from management
personnel in the community come in
and give the students tips on things
like applying for a job and filling out
an application properly, she said."

She also said that administrators
of the program are working on a
“roll-adex" file of community in-
structors for the benefit of those
students who don‘t have a clear idea
of what jobs they would like to
sample.

Sofar. so good

The program was begun this
trimester. and so its administrators
think it is too early to tell whether it
will be successful. So far, however,

Continued on back page

EBCE instructor Paula Pope and students Linda
Snead and Clifford Campbell discuss Henry Clay Iligh

By KIM YELTON
Kernel Staff erer

Senators will vote at the Student
Government meeting tonight on
whether they will continue to lend
their support to a student life in
surance program. Some senators
have raised objections to the
proposal.

In a letter sent to students twice in
the past year and a half, 86 has
endorsed an insurance policy of-
fered by the Kentucky Central In-
surance Co. According to the terms
of the plan, students pay $32 per year
for a $10,000 policy.

“It is a good policy because it

provides benefits for a short time,”
said Charles Emerson, insurance
manager in the university con-
troller’s division. Emerson
examined policies of three other
companies in order to advise SG if
they were worthwhile programs for
students.
“I didn‘t recommend any policy or
say which one was best," Emerson
said. “A number of life insurance
companies offer this type of policy.
Kentucky Central was chosen, I
guess, because it is located in
Lexington.“

“Students have become targets of
life insurance companies" that sell
them expensive policies they often
cannot afford, he added.

Emerson knows of one student
who bought a $15,000 policy which
cost him $255.24 per year. “Unless a
student is welloff financially. he

should avoid that kind of policy,”
Emerson said.

Michael Hammons, law senator,
raised objections to the plan at the
last meeting. He said the service
was not really necessary for
students. “If life insurance com-
panies are harassing students, I
think we should look into the
harassment and not take it a step
further and offer a policy to them,“
he said.

He also said he did not think SG
should promote one particular
company. However, Senate
President Mike McLaughlin said SG
was not endorsing Kentucky Cen-
tral. “We‘re endorsing a policy, not
a company,” he said.

Hammons countered by saying he
could not understand how SG could
endtrse a policy “without endorsing
a company."

Marion Wade, A & S senator.
raised another concern about
releasing names to Kentucky
Central—a possible violation of the
Buckley Amendment. which
protects students' rights to privacy
by prohibiting the release of their
addresses.

SG gave students‘ addresses to
Kentucky Central. according to
McLaughlin.

However, Hammons said he does
not think this is a violation of the
Ammendment. “This (information)
is made public through the phone
directory. which is very public
anyway,“ he said.

or some Fayette County students

. ,1;

—0avidO'Neil

School’s new educational program that emphasizes
on-the-job experience.

 

 

metro

“Mismanagement” led to the state's lease.
since canceled. of the former James E. Pepper
Distillery Co. warehouse here. and the state has no
need for the warehouse space, an investigative
committee concluded yesterday. UK was to use
part of the warehouse for a motor pool the
University was to operate for the state. A Franklin
County grand jury investigated the lease, ques-
tioned Lexington attorney Robert Miller, an
organizer of Gov. Julian Carroll's 1975 campaign in
Fayette County, and Frankfort businessman
Rodney Ratliff, both heads of Development Land
Co., which leased the warehouse, and various state
officials and reported no emergency existed. The
grand jury recommended adoption of a stricter
leasing policy and also suggested that the
Department for Finance and Administration
consider setting up a motor pool on campus rather

‘

than leasing space for it. Jack Blanton. vice
president for business affairs at UK and another
committee member. said University officials will
meet this week with state transportation officials
“and we hope to have a motor pool in operation on
the UK campus by July 1. There will not be a need
for leased space. “

world

A 21-year-old Yugoslav refugee who says he has
crossed Europe. both Americas and the Pacific in a
futile search for a new homeland. hasn't lost hope
as he ekes out an existence on a rusty trading ship
in Fiji. Illich Dimov. almost penniless and without a
passport from any nation, is living on the charity of
Polynesian crewmen of the Moana while he waits
for word on his application to enter Australia as an
immigrant.

nation

As Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance prepared
to begin a week-long Middle East trip yesterday.
Saudi Arabia stepped up pressure on the United
States to persuade lsrael to make concessions to the
Arabs in return for Saudi restraint on oil prices.
Prince Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia‘s foreign
minister. indicated his government might give up
its 5 per cent lid on price hikes and impose a further
increase if the United States and other Western
nations failed to provide more support for the Arabs
in dealing with Israel.

Four brothers. aged It to 22, were killed by
shotgun blasts to the head in “execution” style
yesterday in Hollandsburg, Ind. after being ordered
to lie face down on the floor of their family‘s mobile
home. Their mother was wounded, but escaped by
pretending to be dead.

A suspended employe with a fixation on Adolf
Hitler's Nazi philosophy stormed a warehouse in
New Rochelle with rifle blazing yesterday. killing a
policeman and four other men. Holding at least two
hostages as pawns, he held off a police scige for
hours before finally shooting himself. The man.
identified as Fred Cowan. 35. was clad in a Nazi
storm trooper‘s uniform

Flirting with teens

Partly cloudy and cold today with a high near
30. Clear and cold tonight, low in the teens.
Tomorrow will be sunny and continued cold with a
high of 30.

Compiled from Associated Press
and National Weather Bureau dispatches

 

 

 

  

 

  

  

  

 

 

 

editorials 8: canments

Editorials do not represent the opinions of the University

m
Oh- “on
em m

WM Ilium

Imus.-
”Wk-m

mummumuumw.mmm“.myuquumwb
Iwauwvum.mmmm.Wcmomumumquh

I...

mainlan- Could.- in“.
he“ tin-om Hillel“.
MM 'MDI-on
‘ Milli-cot CW
”Show Shim
All“. MI“. “world“
may Jinn. Alum-r."

 

 

 

 

  

   

Local political elites apparently are deter-
mined to convert Lexington into the big time.
Rapid growth, implementation of merged
governmentand the $42 million civic center have
all been hailed as keys to the emergence of an
urban center.

If reaching big-time status is really the goal, at
least one more innovation—extension of local
bar hours-is necessary.

This idea isn’t new. In fact, at this time last
year, then-Alcoholic Beverage Control Ad-
ministrator Stephen Driesler was drafting a
proposal to the Urban County Council which
would allow bars to remain open an additional
hour—until 2 am.

As word of Driesler‘s proposal got around, the
move for extended hours seemed to be gaining
momentum. except with a group of local
puritans.

Driesler. who is no longer with the ABC, never
made the proposal.

Fearing a similar death might befall any new
effort. a handful of Lexington bar operators are
now working behind the scenes for extended
hours.

Evidence suggests that later bar hours

 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
   
  
  
 
   
   
  
  
 

Lexington deserves
extended bar hours

“Longer drinking hours would be better (for
the cmvention business), but they aren’t
necessary,” said Mr. Butcher in yesterday’s
Kernel.

If the proposed change had any foreseeable
detrimental effects, the statement might be
logical. But it doesn’t, and that makes Mr.
Butcher‘s argument just another bit of worthless
garbage. After all, the list of things society finds
useful but unnecessary—automobiles,
televisions, dishwashers—is endless.

Not to pick on Mr. Butcher relentlessly, but his
statement typifies a tendency to overlook the
fundamental reason for extending bar hours: the
right of bar owners and patrons to sell and con-
sume alcohol as they wish. Laws presently
protect the interests of juveniles who are not
allowed in the establishments at any hour.

A more convincing argument, however, is the
fact that extended hours would boost convention
trade by bringing more people and more dollars
in to the community.

Similarly, the Lexington Center would have a
better crack at drawing big-gate attractions with
ex tended bar hours. Lexington would more likely
land events such as the 1982 NCAA Basketball

  
  
 
  
 
  
   
   
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
     
   
  
   
 
  
   
 
 
   
  
 
  
   
    
  
 
   
   
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
   
   
     
    
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
  
 
  
   

decreases the number of drivers (many of them
drunk) that are on the road at the same time,
thus reducing the number of accidents. As close
to home as Louisville, where bar are open until 4
am, the number of drinking-related accidents

has declined.

And anyone familiar with conventions would
have to admit that a lot of activities center
around alcohol consumption. Anyone, that is,
except local (‘onvention Bureau Director Randy

Butcher.

Finals. (The field has been pared to Lexington
and New Orleans).

The council probably would consider a move
lengthening the deadline to 3 or 4 am. as a
radical step, so extension proponents could start

with a lobby for a 2 am. closing time. With the

support of bar owners, patrons, the business
community. and perhaps Student Government
could adopt a supportive resolution, the tide of
puritan opposition can be defeated.

We‘ll drink to that.

 
 

 

L in W ‘Jfli
mm M ”at:

“C0 EON lN,M .
M W Gil/iii

lobe—I 1’1le
mADECENTFUNEKA

MY FIFlY DOLLAR REBATE

L'”

Movement needed to end
Southern Africa regimes

As student leaders and activists
opposed to American racism, we
feel a special obligation to aid our
Southern African brothers and sis-
ters in their battle for freedom and

equality.

commentary

 

 

Being in the homeland of the white
minority regimes‘ most powerful
backers, we can play an important
role in mobilizing the American
people in a powerful movement to
end US. ties to the racist Southern
African regimes.

We therefore call upon students.

trade unionists, activists in the
women‘s movement, Blacks, Puerto
Ricans, Chicanos, Native Ameri-
cans, religious people and all others
to join in building a movement to
support Black majority rule in South
Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. We
demand that [K interests get out of
Southern Africa immediately!

Because March 21 marks the
anniversary of the Sharpesville,
South Africa, massacre and it is
expected that international protests
will be organized, we call upon the
American opponents of racism to
organize two days of national protest
against US. complicity with racist

Action on student needs must go beyond

By ROBERT G. ZUMWI NKIE

Following Marie Mitchell's three-
part. factual report based on my
.inir-e's student needs survey. the
Kernel IFeb. 2. 1977| published an
-".‘litll’lili on the subject. After mak-
ing some favorable comments about
the survey itself. the editorial con-
cluded with a ringing call for action:

 

 

commentary

 

"The next step after recognition of
the problems is action to correct
them. Without that. the survey will
represent nothing more than a
gigantic waste of time for both its
admimistrators and the students
who answered it."

Such a call has a plausible sound.
After all. why go to all the effort of
seeking student assessments of their

needs and problems if we don't
intend to do something about it?
Let‘s get on with some action!

But let's take a closer look at the
action proposition.

Problem-solving requires a pretty
clear definition of the problem to be

.solved. and problem-definition is a

much more rigorous task than
simply identifying likely problem
areas. And beyond problem-defini-
tion are at least these additional.
very important steps: assessing the
problem‘s significance. determining
who is responsible for solving it,
identifying alternatives. and decid-
ing on the course of action.

In brief. our approach should be
more sophisticated than simply
acting directly on the results of a
paper-and-pencil survey.

Now, I happen to think the survey
was a pretty good one. It covered a

 

 

 

 

 

broad spectrum of student needs and
concerns and the respondent group
was reasonably representative of
the total student body. But some
limitations of the survey instrument
must be borne in mind:

1) The questionnaire intentionally
was not designed to evaluate exist-
ing practices. programs. and ser-
vices. lts principal aim was to
identify areas of student needs and
concerns and the extent to which
students perceived they had been
able to meet those needs and
concerns. Granted, there are some
strong evaluative implications in the
survey's findings, but those impli-
cations should be tested via more
direct means than was done in this
survey.

Let‘s be more specific. One of the
104 items in the survey was “lm-
proving my reading speed and
comprehension.“ Exactly 31.7 per
cent of the student respondents felt
this had been a need or concern for
them at some time during that
school year; further, over half of the
31.7 per cent 1 17.3 percent) indicated
this need had not been met ade-
quately.

While this was a significant find-
ing concerning an important student
need, it was not a direct evaluation
of an existing University service or
program. Had these students utili-
zed University services to assist
them in strengthening their reading
competence? If not, why not? The
statistics give us important clues
about the existence of a student

 

Greekbias

Once again. discrimination
against the Greek community on the
UK campus has been witnessed by
students and Wildcat sports fans.
Tuesday night, at the Second Annual
Spirit (‘ontest at the l'K-Tennessee
wrestling match. there were two
groups in the final consideration—a
fraternity. and a group of other
students.

The fraternity group was twice the
size of the other group and was
obviously more spirited.

If the UK cheerleaders were
unbiased in their selection «as
judges in any contest should bell.
the trophy should have been award-
ed to the fraternity. Of course. I
guess independents everywhere
would be complaining about dis-
crimination if the contest had been
even close. However. in this case,
the most spirited group by far was
obviously the fraternity.

Although I don‘t necessarily
approve of all Greek activities, I
personally feel that in competition
open to the entire campus. the

judging should be much more un-

biased and based on more profes-
sional opinions.

Brad Sturgeon

.\rts and Sciences freshman

Misunderstanding

Because ol a misunderstarxling on
the part of the Kernel staff. the
commentary appearing on Feb. 8 on
('0nsciousnessraising groups was
printed incorrectly. The main
purpose of my commentary was to
invite l'niversity women to join

letters

problem. but they do not by them-
selves evaluate existing University
services. lf real evaluation is de-
sired, it should be pursued through
other means designed for that
purpose.

2) The survey emphasized
breadth rather than depth; it deli-
berately did not attempt to assess
the intensity or the specific causes of
those needs and concerns.

Thus, a given percentage in the
report reflects only the numbers of
students who indicated a certain
need. not the intensity of the need,
and certainly not the factors creat-
ing the need.

Let me illustrate that point with a
couple of examples, one from each
end of the distribution of response
percentages. “Finding adequate
transportation or parking“ was
clearly the leader of the pack of 104
listed needs—59.1 per cent of the
respondents felt this had been a need
or concern at some time during that
school year; 38.6 per cent indicated
this need had not been met ade-
quately.

Near the other end of the conti-
nuum was “Dealing with my physi-
cal handicap“, for which 1.2 per cent
of the respondents reported a need
or concern and 0.6 per cent said that
their need had not been adequately
met.

Any comparative interpretation
and weighing of those two sets of
data should take into account the
intensity of the needs of individuals

in addition to the numbers of persons
affected.

3) This may appear to belabor the
obvious, but it is a point frequently
overlooked by students: some stu«
dent needs are more relevant to the
University‘s educational mission
than are others.

Furthermore, the responsibility
for meeting most student needs rests
as much, or more, on the individual
student as it does on the faculty and
administration. When the Kernel
calls for “action“ on the survey
report. for example:

—What does it propose the Uni-
versity do about the 16.3 per cent of
the respondents who say they have
not been able to meet their need for
sufficient rest and sleep? Conduct
bed checks? Surely not. If not, then
what action is proposed?

—What should the University do to
assure that more students will find
interesting things to do on week-
ends? 17.4 per cent of the student
respondents indicated this need had
not been adequately met. Does not
most of the responsibility for meet-
ing that need rest with the students
concerned?

What I have said thus far may
sound (a) hypercritical of a survey
that l initiated and supervised, (bl
temporizing, and let defensive of
the status quo. Those are not my
objectives.

In responding to the Kernels
simplistic call for action on the

regimes in South Africa. Zimbabwe.
and Namibia on March 25 and 26.

By building studentinitiated
teach-ins on the campus and city
wide rallies that involve the labor,
Black. and women‘s movement, the
American people can send Washing-
ton a powerful message.

No US. aid to Vorster and Smith!
No to racism—Black Majority rule
now!

 

Submitted by the local Student
Coalition Against Racism: exerpted
from a resolution passed at the
Third National Student Conference
Against Racism.

survey

survey‘s findings, 1 am attempting
to remind the readers of the limita-
tions of any paper-and-pencil survey
of this sort and to suggest that there
are additional steps to be taken prior
to the action stage. Those additional
steps can be summed up in one
concept: thinking before leaping.

Nonetheless. I really do agree with
the Kernel to this extent: When we
are able to clearly define an unmet
student need or problem that is
relevant to the University's educa-
tional mission. some kind of action
should be taken to resolve the
problem.

This depends heavily. of course.
on the availability of human. fiscal,
and physical resources and the
comparative priorities of the com-
peting demands for such resources.
I am hopeful that this survey will
assist in identifying unmet student
needs and ultimately lead to action
on those needs.

The foregoing comments may be
difficult to comprehend or appre-
ciate without the opportunity to read
the survey report itself. A limited
number of copies of the report are
available in my office. 529 Patterson
Office Tower. 257-1911. In addition.
the co-authors of the report. Jo Ann
Thompson and I. will be pleased to
discuss the report with any con-
cerned persons.

 

, This comment was submitted by

Robert G. Zumwinkle. vice presi-
dent for student affairs.

 

consciousness-raising groups and
secondly to begin to explain about
them. The first paragraph should
have read:

“For the last two semesters. there
have been several consciousness-
raising groups on campus. Since l
suspect that there are many in-
terested women who haven‘t yet
joined a group, I would like once
again to start new groups.“

Editing is often necessary but not
when it desb‘oys content. Once again
I‘d like to invite all women to join a
conscimsnes-raising group. Call

  

Debbie 255-6139 or Kathy 266-2802.

Debbie Kosloff
Bi :8 sophomore

Fairytale

Dear Jim Harralson:

It never ceases to amaze me how
people like you are able to rational-
ize a situation so as to reassure your
own personal beliefs.

Your Fairy Tale, though interest-
ing. is an exception to the case
rather than the rule.

Obviously your philosophy has

 

blinded you in to following the
straight and narrow path of ignor-
ance. while others in America go
jobless and homeless because of the
profit-minded private sector of our
economy.

When all is done, James, you may
thank the private sector and not the
current administration, for your 50
cent cup of coffee. And. when all that
can be said has been said. may
Jimmy Carter then bless your soul
with a chorus of "Happy Days Are

Here Again."
Loren McCoy

Mrs junior

 

H
d

Well
come 1
my dis
receive
love
decapil

It's j
sentmi
had. I'
it tant:
propos
$2.25 6
cliing l
per ou:

How

somea
hock t
child ji
plant?

 

also u.
wouldl
amoun
range
had c
plicabl
card, i
one we
card ;
sorneth

~week‘s

letter i
for del

But.
when l
virgin
head (
mornin
strangt
considt
Valenti
St. Val

Be

By 11

Keitl
26 Ker
fusion
few n
Studen
( SCB)
matter

 

CO

 

eddoru
notonh
takes I
sensat
thenr

The c
and see
Univer
and tl
S(‘B to
ing cap
ballroo
base to

Any 1
seating
less t‘

 

 

   

    
 

 

BATE

d

babwe.
26.

itiated
id city
. labor.
ent. the
ashing-

Smith!
ty rule

 

Student
:erpted
at the
'ercnce

mpnng
lunna-
survey
tthere
it prior
Hfional
in one
ng.

zeivnh
ien we
unniet
hat 6
educa-
acnon
'e the

nurse.
fiscal.
d the
9 com-
)urces.
)y will
tudent
action

lay be
appre~
0 read
mited
rt are
terson
lition.
0 Ann
sed to
' con-

?d by
presi-

 

; the
gnor-
:a go
of the
1 our

inay
)t the
ur 50
[that
may
' soul
5 Are

lel‘oy
untar

 

 

 

 

 

comments

 

 

Headless Valentine
doesn't rate Top 20

Well, Valentine‘s Day has
come and gone and. much to
my disappointment. I didn’t
receive a single card. rose.
love letter. virgin or
decapitated head.

It's justas well that nobody
sentme roses, because if they
had. I would have considered
it tantamount to a marriage
proposal. You see. roses at
$2.25 each are rapidly cat-
ching up with gold in price
per ounce.

How could I say no to
someme who probably had to
hock their first-born grand-
child just to send me a love-
plant?

      

john
Winn
miller

also unexpected, since they
would have required a certain
amount of thought and long-
range planning. If someone
had developed an inex-
plicable urge to send me a
card. it would have entailed
one week's work to pay for a
card and postage. writing
something clever (another

«week‘s work) and mailing the

letter tallowing three weeks
for delivery).

But. I was a triffle miffed
when l didn‘t lind a token
virgin or at the very least a
head on my desk Monday
morning. Now. this isn't as

strangenas it might seem._

considering the history of St.

Valentine tor more correctly

St. Valentines).

The cards and letters were

Like most gulible
Americans. I always thought
that Valentine‘s Day was in
honor of the patron saint of
lovers. but it’s not. According
to Rutgers College English
professor Alfred 1.. Kellogg.
St. Valentine is actually
several persons and the
celebration is the product of a
combination of pagan and
Christian legend.

The evolution of St.
Valentine. according to
Kellogg’s essay. Chaucer‘s
St. Valentine: A Conjecture,
dates back to Lupercalia. the
ancient Roman paganlrites of
fertility celebrated on Feb.
15. In 495 AD. the Christian
festival of the Purification of
the Virgin. or Candlemas
Day. was created and
celebrated on Feb. 14.

But. Kellogg explained.
when the Eastern and
Western calendars were
unified. Candlemas Day fell
on Feb. 2. which left the
important date of Feb. 14
without a purpose. Even-
tually. the void was filled
when the day was set aside to
ODSCI'VC St. Valentine’s
martyrdom by decapitation
in the 3rd century.

Originally. St. Valentine
was the patron saint of birds
and nature. How he got that
honor is a Name story in
itself. It seems that a certain
Baudn’ de Bourguell thought
St. Valentine was being
misused by the Pope. so. in
the 12th century he stole the
saint '5 head from a reliquary
in Home and fled to Nor-

.) I" p} .' u” 1‘ r
mandy?” ’3 my " T

4

Bourguell

Apparently.

enjoyed showing "'0ff"'his'

bounty. "When carried in
procession.“ Kellogg said of
the head. “the relic was said
to have averted plague and
drought. and on one occasion
it even forced crop-
consuming rodents to leap
into the Seine.“

Now how did a rodent-
kicking head become a
lovers‘ saint? It all came
about when two 14th century
poets got stuck for a new
metaphor for the god of love.
Somehow St. Valentine fit the
bill. Chaucer tried to counter
the new symbol by restoring
St. Valentine to the
“Parliament of Foules." but
it was to no avail.

What the public wants, the
public gets.

From this inauspicious
beginning of virgins. rodents
and heads. the legend of St.
Valentine has evolved into
what it is today. Apparently.
Al (‘apme knew the real
significance of this day when
he staged a dramatic re—
enactment of the saints
death in the back of a garage.

One other interesting thing
about St. Valentine's Day is
that it's actually Mr.
Valentine's Day. Several
years ago. Valentine. along
with St Christopher. took it
on the chin from the Pope and
was knocked off the
(‘atholic‘s Top Twenty list.

He doesn't even rate the
Top 320 list because he's no
longer an official saint

Somehow. though. I don‘t
think it really matters.

 

'Jolm \Vinn Miller is the _
mirth-l Ala na gill}: :Edit'or .ull is
column appears every other
' 'l‘uesda'y. " ‘

Ballroom story is off base

By THOMAS GASTON JR.

Keith Shannon’s article (1-
26 Kernel “Ballroom Con-
fusion Ends") contained a
few misconceptions about
Student Center Board‘s
(SCB) involvement in the
matter. Unfortunately. your

 

commentary

 

editorial of the following day
not only duplicated these mis-
takes but framed a rather
sensational story around
them.

The editorial blamed “hide
and seek" games between the
University administration
and the SCB as causing
SCB to rashly reduce the seat-
ing capacity for the combined
ballrooms. This is totally off
base to say the least.

Any decision to reduce the
seating capacity and order
less tickets was entirely

intra-administrative and in
no way involved input from
SCB. Before October we had
no idea whatsoever that the
renovation was even being
considered.

Since that time we have
only discussed adaptations to
exploit any possible benefits
while accommodating the
infringements. Thus we can
see that the decision you’ve
condemned never occurred.

Furthermore. since this
was the sole leg of support
for the rest of your arguments
and conclusions.the whole
article is grounded on false
premises. Lastly. since you
missed some legitimate
investigative leads in re-
searching the issue. I would
like to suggest some.

First. why would any
organization which epit—
omizes administrative pater-
nalism like the student—exclu-

sive Faculty Club be allowed
to adopt ev