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The Pendulum
Thursday, February 28 i
Editorials
Bennett off base in saying
students must give up
cars, stereos
Walter Mondale and the Democrats were right. We were right.
Last fall the Democrats were predicting the president would cut
federal student loan funds, and The Pendulum reported that predic
tion.
Ronald Reagan’s proposed budget cuts this year are not only
limited to the poor, but to programs serving middle and upper-
income Americans as well.
Among these cuts, which range from sewage treatment to library
assistance, is a proposal to cut fmancial aid to college students.
The most devastating of the proposed changes includes eliminating
federal loan guarantees to students whose families earn more than
$32,500 while limiting the total amount of federal aid any student
can receive to $4,000 a year. Critics estimate that these cuts could
affect hdf of all college students now receiving, aid.
So, while the rich can afford the more expensive schools and
the poor can get help, the middle-class is most likely to feel the
blade. The new secretary of education, William Bennett (in
retrospect an unfortunate choice as Elon’s commencement speaker
last year), is a tough-minded neoconservative who enjoys the sup
port of people like Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C. The new secretary,
within one week of his confirmation, clearly stated that he believes
in limiting the federal government’s role in education.
In his first press conference, Bennett was quoted as saying that
if Congress approves the cuts, it “may require from some students
divestiture of certain sorts-stereo,automobile, and three-weeks-at-
the-beach divestiture.” And he means it.
I get the impression that Bennett and the rest of the Reagan ad
ministration feel that college students are a burden on our economy.
If passed, the cuts may force many students to attend state-
supported rather than private colleges.
Even William C. Friday, president of the University of North
Carolina system, said in a recent interview that if Reagan succeeds,
many students will no longer be able to meet the high cost of at
tending private colleges. Friday also said that the bottom-line ef
fect would be to “deny a college education to, some students and
to threaten the survival of some private colleges.” On the other
hand. Bennett contended that while these “college-cuts” might limit
some students’ choices of less expensive institutions, they wouldn’t
be denied a college education.
The government is trying to do everything it can to limit spen
ding so as to reduce the national budget deficit. The Reagan ad
ministration reasons that the only way the recovery (which has been
a great help in meeting the costs of college) can be saved is to get
the deficit under control.
They’re missing the point, though. Various groups have suffered
for the deficit, while there exists the possibility of a $263 billion
national defense spending budget for 1986. This is a $93 billion
increase from 1980 and the deficit has grown accordingly from
$75 billion to $200 billion over the past six years.
And wait. There’s more. Reagan proposes to increase military
spending to about $400 billion by the end of 1988. This massive
expense is responsible for our ever-increasing national deficit. And
we—the college grads of the future—will pay for it. I resent being
blamed for the national deficit and having people like Bennett, who
said he believes his main function is to “talk a lot,” tell students
everywhere to “divest,” because the Reagan administration has
no idea of how to manage our faltering economy.
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Letter to the Editor
Prejudices should be for gotta
To the editor:
This past Tuesday evening I,
along with a hundred or more
others, attended a lecture given
by Dr. Curtis Alexander. His
topic was “African
HistoricalReligions-Conceptual
and Ethical Foundation for
Western Religions.” Dr. Alex
ander discussed the ancestral
background of the African
heritage. He has found that
Egypt, with all of its ancient
pyramids and artworks, is in
Africa, He stated that what we,
in today’s society, feel about
Africa and Egypt are misconcep
tions. He implies that we should
think of these' two separate
societies as one.
I personally can agree with
almost everything this man said,
but I question his motives.
Human society of today is going
MOSTLY P'S
through a^great transition. We
have made great advances in
technology, but we have also
created the nuclear bomb. This
means that within a matter of
hours our world could very well
be destroyed. We have never ex
perienced this fear at any time in
the past.
In order to prevent this from
happening, we have to work
together. Not just our nation
working together, but our world
united as one. This is a dream,
but a dream that I feel everyone
really wants to become a reality.
We can only have this reality
when everyone is free of learned
prejudices.
In Dr, Alexander’s closing
statements, he made a definite
separation between blacks and
whites. He informed us of the fact
that Elon does not have a “black
I THINK I'M
LAST IN THE
^COMPUTER RANK1N6S
history course” nor do we have
“proper black reading material"
in our library. It bothers metliat
a man of his intelligence is going
from college campus to college
campus, voicing opinions whick
tend to separate people. He could
be a very powerful influence in
spreading unity for people of all
colors.
Ray Covington
The Pencjulum Staff
Editor
Associate Editor
Student Affairs Editor
Features Editor
•Arts Editor
Emphasis Editor
Sports Editor
Head Photographer
Photographers
Ad Manager
Copy Editor
Advisor
Loukia Louka
Penny Thomas
Vicky Jiggetts
(Maureen Sweeney
Patricia Aycoc*
Kami BrooW
Brian £. Batcftetor
Jamie CoOO
Steve Pearce
Stuart wniie
Joe Coco
Ann CraWrt
Mouche Magg«
Jane Kidwe*
Bob Nowel
The Pendulum welcomes letters,
limited to 250 words, from ouf
readers. Longer materials may W
submitted as opinion articles. All let
ters submitted must be signed, and
a phone number given so that the
letters validity can be checked. Ttie
editor reserves the right to edit for
length, libel, good taste and ac
curacy. The deadline for submitting
materials is 2 p.m. Friday. Our of
fice is located on 102 Williannson
Avenue, phone 584-2331 of
584-2476.