Newspapers / Chowan University Student Newspaper / Sept. 24, 1980, edition 1 / Page 5
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i Smoke Signals, Wednesday, September 24, 1980 — Page 5 Prolific Writer Honored for Poems ,..tfTE«S:OOP« U.&ARMY ''HWEXOU HOTICED NO ONE SEEMS TO OOMINS OUT ?" Confusion, Not Militancy, Follows Registration Protest Enrollment Up Slightly Over 79-80 By BILL SONN A College Press Service Roundup Report (CPS) — David Hartman, a 19-year- old political science junior at Califomia-Berkeley, remembers the confusion started when he first read about military registration last January. It hasn’t ended yet. ' “At first I thought, ‘There's no way I‘m going to register,’ ” he recalls.“But then I thought of the con sequences.” Failure to register can bring penalties of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Not knowing what he should do, he consulted friends and family, though “I knew what they would say.” On balance, “I had no one to turn to.” Hartman ultimately decided to register, but his confusion persists. “I can say I won’t go and fight in a war,” he states, and then adds with a reflec tive smile: “Of course, it’s easy to talk now. When the time comes...” So it went this summer as approx imately four million young men across the country tried to make up their minds what to do about military registration. Hartman’s confusion was typical of the four men College Press Service followed through their deci sion making. As James DeVoto of Atlanta put it: “There was no way to be right about this.” DeVoto, Hartman, and David Barar- di bf Cleveland finally decided to register. All recorded on their registration forms that they were complying with the law under protest. “I was too scared not to register,” DeVoto explains, “but I feel like I’m chicken for being scared. My protest note doesn’t make me feel like a man.” PLENTIFUL ADVICE All four young men — the one who has yet to register requested anonymi ty — had little trouble finding advice during their ordeals. A bewildering number of protest groups competed for their attention. Though DeVoto was the only one to seek out counsel ing help, all encountered a lot of pro test literature. The Central Committee for Cons cientious Objectors, based in Philadelphia, distributed “over 100,000” protest cards nationally for people to record their anger. Steve Gulick, Philadelphia coor dinator for the War Resisters League, estimated “about 20,000 have filled out the card.” Vincent Cobb of the American Friends Service Committee, an anti war group associated with the Quakers, “couldn’t even begin to estimate” the number of counseling letters his group distributed to 18- and 19-year-olds across the country. “We didn’t necessarily wait for peo ple to come to us,” Cobb understates. He says the Friends’ Denver office alone culled 52,000 names and ad dresses from drivers license records, and sent them letters explaining what options were available. Protest leaders are bullish about the results of such efforts. At different points during the registration process, protest leaders estimated that anywhere from a half million to two million people refused to register. ‘MEANINGLESS’OBJECTION ^ The Selective Service System i reports it still doesn’t know what percentage of the population complied with the law. ' Paul Mocko of Selective Service ; says the agency “won’t have very I reliable numbers until October.” Yet ; because of the rumors and widespread 4 speculation, “we will publish a less reliable set of preliminary figures.” At our press time, the agency had temporarily delayed publication of the figures. “No one knows yet,” Mocko says. “It’s that simple.” Similarly, no one knows how many people registered with written protests on their forms. Mocko points out that notes like “I intend to file for conscientious objec tor status” written on the forms “mean nothing to us now, mostly because we don’t want any informa tion on classification now.” Yet Selective Service keeps “the card on microfilm, so we can see the message if and when it becomes rele vant. We’d much rather people do that (write a protest message on the card) than not to register at all.” He stresses the sentiment applies to those who still haven’t registered, too. HANDY PROTEST STICKERS Many anti-registration groups advis ed eligible males to write messages on the forms both as a legal means of protest and as a precedent for apply ing for conscientious objector status, should draft classification be cranked up again. Gulick of the War Resisters League, for one, counsels that it’s “a good idea to start leaving tracks” for conscien tious objector status. “Theoretically, it has no legal standing.But we recom mend that you keep copies.” Much of that kind of counseling took place directly at post offices during registration. Near the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, for example, leafletters distributed handy “I am registering in protest” stickers to put on registration forms. A group called Movement Against the Draft roamed northen Illinois post offices with flyers advising registrants what they should write on their forms (a statement that the registrant WASHINGTON, D.C. (CPS) - Those who refused to participate in military registration during the sum mer probably won’t start feeling legal heat from the government until Oc tober, according to a Selective Service System official. Paul Mocko of Selective Service says his agency most likely won’t begin referring names of 18- and 19- year-old non-registrants to the Justice Department for prosecution until “we get everybody into the data base.” “That’s our main priority and will remain our main priority through Oc tober. Then the activity will probably center on enforcing compliance wiUi the law.” Mocko was unsure what that “ac tivity” would be. “Right now our plans are pretty sketchy.” Normally the Selective Service System identifies possible evaders, and the Justice Department investigates and pro secutes them. “There is no way I can speculate what action the (Justice) department might take” when it gets names from Selective Service, says Justice Depart ment spokesman Dean St. Dennis. St. Dennis maintains that, without knowing what the case load might be. Justice has not yet even made any in ternal organizational moves to ac commodate the added work. Most government officials contacted for this story chose not to dwell on en forcement measures. There have been' scattered reports that the Carter Ad ministration intends to defer energetic pursuit of evaders until after the November election. An anonymous “Selective Service official” was quoted in a July Wall Street Journal article as saying the government planned a “soft” ap proach toward non-registrants. But the report prompted angered Selective Service Director Bernard Rostker to warn; “This is not Mickey Mouse. It’s not ‘ha ha’ cateh me if you can.’ A person who fails to register is a felon. Make no nustake about it.” “The kid who throws down the gauntlet to the government will be prosecuted,” Rostker told the New York Times in August. Until then, however, the government is giving people the chance to register late. Mocko recalls that in 1972, when he began working for Selective Service, “about 85 percent registered on time, and about 15 percent registered late. Of course at that time the draft and the war were the big issues, not registration.” So the system will wait until later in wouldn’t surrender his right to privacy) and what not to write on the forms (his social security number). Inevitably, there were complaints that some of the counseling was too general and even counter-productive. The Minnesota Public Interest Research Group concentrated on defining three general choices for potential registrants: they could evade registration, apply for conscientious objector status, or “register and fight.” David Barardi, an 18-year-old soda salesman in Cleveland, felt c.o. counseling was misleading. “I’d pretty much decided to register as a c.o. after I talked to some anti draft guy from Cleveland State or somewhere,” he says. Barardi went to register only to find there was no “box to check. I asked the clerk at the counter, but he didn’t know anything. He was just a clerk. ” Barardi, angered upon discovering conscientious objector status was not possible at the moment, says he “winged it” by writing “I protest” on his form. He had hoped there’d be “some pro testers” at the post office to give him last minute advice, but “they were just there the first day, I guess.” the fall to discover “who we don't have,” Mocko says. To do so, “I’m sure there’ll be some comparison” between the list of registrants and “some other data base, though we don’t know which one yet.” Rumors that Selective Service plans to track evaders through Census Bureau, Social Security, and even school registration lists have been met by counter-threats. Census Bureau Director Vincent Barraba maintains that “infomnation gathered through the Onsus Bureau will remain strictly confidential, as stipulated by the law. ” Americal Civil Liberties Union lawyer David Landau charges that us ing any other government lists would violate the Privacy Act of 1974. He promises the ACLU will sue if Selec tive Service makes the attempt. But Selective Service spokeswoman Mary Ellen Levesque says her agency would seek a waiver of the Privacy Act “if it’s really necessary.” St. Dennis says “it would be premature” to describe what the Justice Department will do when it gets evaders’ names, regardless of how they’re obtained. He points out that not all those cases turned over to the Justice Department would end up in trial. Between July, 1964 and June, 1973, St. Dennis says, Selective Service referred to the Justice Department 186,711 names of possible draft law violators. Yet only about six percent of those were actually tried. Five per cent of the total were ultimately con victed. Nearly 85 percent of the indictments during the era were dismissed before trial because the accused violator finally agreed to obey the law, St. Dehnis says. PART-TIME JOBS AVAILABLE Tutors Needed Contact Upward Bound, Special Services Basement WhitakerLibrary By GREG BASSETT Although college enrollment is on the decline across the country, Chowan entered the decade of the 1980’s with a rising student population of some 1,129 students, an increase of 11 students over last year. According to figures released by the registrar’s office, male students still outnumber the females by nearly 2 to 1 and freshmen- far outnumber sophomores b; some 300 students. Students from 22 states and 15 foreign countries now attend the school. This year however, there is a reduction in the number M returning foreign students, with the reported departure of several Iranian students. The actual figures show that Chowan now has a total of 665 boar ding freshmen, of which 217 are females, and 383 boarding sophomorest of which 141 are females. The total number of freshmen day students this year is 46, while the number of sophomore day students is 29. With the addition those classified as special students, the school total is 1,129. In a memo to the faculty and staff. Dean of the College B. Franklin Lowe Jr. expressed his concern over the col lege’s retention of students and noted that several students have already withdrawn this fall. “Both recruitment and retention will challenge and require our very best efforts,” said Lowe. “The matter of good retention will be vitally impor tant for the spring, as well as next year.” However, Lowe observed that the college enrollment picture began this year on a “positive note” and was “off to a good start.” Two new faculty members are on the staff this fall. Stacy Lee Deavours replaces Dr. Dennis Shill as professor of economics and government, while Robert J. Burke replaces Jerry Smith as professor of physical education. Burke will also take Smith’s place as head coach for Chowan’s men’s basketball team. Deavours comes to Chowan after having taught at Pikesville College in Pikesville, Ky. He is a native of Marion, Ala., and a graduate of the University of Montevallo. Deavours received his M.S. degree from Western Kentucky University. Burke brings several years of coaching experience with him to Chowan. A graduate of (Campbell University, Burke has coached numer- sous high school teams to winning seasons. As head coach at Greensboro College, an NCAA Division III school, Burke’s team posted a 41-35 record. By LYNETTE FARRELL Chowan College English Professor Robert Mulder has been selected for inclusion in the INTERNATIONAL WHO’S WHO IN POETRY, published in Cambridge, England. Mulder is editor of NEW EARTH REVIEW, a poetry quarterly with 2,600 subKribers in every state and eight countries. He also edits and publishes Writer’s Forum, a newslet ter for creative writers. About the newsletter Mulder says “This is my most satisfying project. To know that my newsletter is helping writers get published all over the United States is very fulfilling.” The Chowan professor is the author of numerous poems and feature ar ticles which have appeared in national publications. He is also the author of four books of poetry. Mulder’s first book of poetry, THE SHEPHERD WHO STAYED BEHIND, was written and donated to the building program of the church he served as organist. Proceeds from a recent book, BACKYARD COWBOY, were given to the Heather Nelson Trust Fund, the now-deceased daughter of a former professor at Chowan. During the summer he completed a children’s adventure novel on assign ment for Broadmen Press. In the last year he has sold thirty-two short stories and eight articles to Broadman Press, the publishing house of the Southern Baptist Convention. Mulder has had two articles in the (CHURCH MUSICIAN this summer and poetry in HOME LIFE. He is also working on three articles concerning single parent homes for CHRISTIAN SINGLE, also a publication of the Baptist Press. When asked what he likes best about writing, Mulder replied: “I like the merit recognition it gives me the kind I deposit in NCNB.” A Potecasi native, Mulder is a graduate of East Carolina University with the B.A. and M.A. degrees. He is minister of music at Meherrin Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. Mulder was recently featured as “Citizen of the Week” in the Ahoskie News-Herald. In his office at hnne where he lives with his seven year-old son, Micky, are other honors be has receiv^ through the years. He has appeared in Outstanding Young Men of America. His most prized certificated came from Henry Genunill, editor of THE NATIONAL OBSERVER, who presented the Chowan writer with the Laurel Award “for a contribution of sheer genius to THE NATIONAL OBSERVER.” MULDER According to the editors, INTERNA TIONAL WHO’S WHO IN POETRY at tracts world recognition for poets and their work. “Poets are fte most unrecognized of all writers and they find it increasingly difficult for their work to be published in book form. The INTERNATIONAL WHO’S WHO IN POETRY, first issued 22 years ago, is proud of the fact that it has been responsible for obtaining the publica tion in print of the work of many hun dreds of poets frcsn all parts of the world,” the editors note. Pool (Continued from Page 1) hopes,” said Hassell, “But if the costs aren’t too prohibitive we’ll take another look at it.” Hassell said the pool’s heating system is unique in the fact that is most economical, yet rare in general usage. The large pool room is heated from the steam generated from the heated water. The humidity is remov ed from the heat, which according to Hassell, prevents a “steam room feel ing” present in other enclosed pool facilites. At press time the pool was still undergoing repairs for valve trouble which was believed to have caused numerous ear and eye infections. Hassell explained that air from a holding tank was being pumped into the water and the problem was easily correctable. Two new valves were added to the line to reduce the air flow. In order to correct the problem, however, the pool was drained. U.S. Moving Slowly In Registration Skips Help Celebrate The Addition of the Jesse Helms Physical Education Center and Homecoming Weekend at H»dee^: Hardee's of Murfreesboro and Ahoskie will donate all net proceeds from french fry soles during the Homecoming Weekend, October 3rd, 4th, and 5th, to the new center. So visit the new center and be sure to stop by one of the Hardee's locations during the weekend and buy some of their golden french fries. You'll feel good knowing that you have helped with Chowan's New Physical Education Center. Murfreesboro — Main & Third Ahoskie — Memorial Drive Vbfdeei
Chowan University Student Newspaper
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Sept. 24, 1980, edition 1
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