Volume LXV Number 7 February 19,1982 The Salemite serving the salem college community since 1920 Reagan’s Cutbacks Could Affect Salem by Stephanie Vance “Budget cuts proposed by President Reagan have put us in a planning mood; however, concrete plans cannot be made until Congress makes its final decision,” said Bobbie Norton, head of the Financial Aid department a^ Salem, in a recent interview. Many financial aid programs will be eliminated, such as the National Direct Student Loan. This loan is awarded on the basis of need. The borrower must pay 4 percent interest if he or she has not paid back the loan within six months following the completion of college. Reagan has proposed changes and reductions in the Guaranteed Student Loan program (GSL). This program enables the student to borrow as much as $2500. The passage of the Middle Income Act in 1978 put an income limit on the GSL. As of Oct. 1, 1981, this limit was S30.000. The Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) has already been cut. In the academic year 1978-1979 a student could borrow up to $1600. This amount was in creased to $1800 in 1979-1980, but in 1982-1983 this will be cut to $1400. This is a 40 percent cut. Funds for the College Work-Study Program will be cut by 27 percent. Since Salem receives only 12 percent of federal and state aid, Reagan’s proposed cuts will not cause drastic problems. Larger univer sities and colleges that receive between 50 percent and 75 percent of federal and state aid will be noticeably affected. Norton encourages students who might need financial aid to apply. It is important to apply early and to use every available source in the community. Applications can be picked up at Lehman Hall in the financial aid office. FINANCIAL AID PXReCTOg SALEM COLUGrE Anti-Abortion vs. Pro-Choice Senior Explcdns Proposed Legislation by Teri Capshaw Salem students have become aware of anti abortion legislation and the “Pro-Choice” issue through petitions circulated by senior, Kelly Ziglar. Interning with Planned Parenthood’s Public Affairs Department this January, Ziglar became involved with the Pro-Choice movement and is now working toward involving Salem students. Although recent polls by the Associated Press-NBC News show that three out of four Americans oppose a con stitutional amendment that would allow Congress to ban abortions, such an amend ment is before Congress this session. The major anti-abortion legislation consists of the “Human Life Federalism Amendment” sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and the “Human Life” Statute sponsored by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC). The purpose of the Hatch amendment is to reverse the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision which had legalized abortion by declaring it a constitutional right. Passage of the amendment would allow the federal and state govern ments to criminalize abortion through the normal legislative process. In a recent interview with Ziglar, she said, “Sen. Hatch and his anti-abortion sup porters realize they do not have the two-thirds vote in Congress, plus three-fourth of the states necessary for ratification of an amendment to outlaw abortion outright. Their strategy is to transform abortion from a con stitutionally protected right to a matter for legislative enactment. With that ac complished, Sen. Hatch and supporters feel they would have the majority votes to pass stringent anti-abortion legislation at both the state and federal levels of government.” Ziglar added that the anti abortion supporters also feel that the new restrictive legislation would affect a change in public mores regarding abortions and, thus pave the way for passage of a human life amendment, permanently outlawing all abortions. This plan has come to be known as the “two amendment strategy.” Helm’s “Human Life” statute would also overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision but by a simple majority vote instead of the arduous con stitutional amendment process. The statute would grant personhood to the fetus and thereby grant the fetus the protections under the Constitution afforded to other citizens. The anti-abortion legislation is being opposed by Pro-Choice supporters. The “Pro-Choice” supporters are not pro-abortion or anti life, but they do believe that women, not the government, should be able to decide whether to carry to term an unwanted pregnancy. The petitions circulated are part of a national strategy. They will be delivered to Senators East and Helms in an effort to demonstrate that both Senators are out of step with the views of the majority of North Carolinians. The NC petition goal is 10,000 signamres, they have ' ap proximately 9300, Ziglar >dlU. The Salem campus response to the petitions has been positive. Between 175 and 200 students and faculty have signed the petitions. Ziglar says she has not en countered any negative reaction on campus. The overwhelming reaction is one of confusion - Pro-Choice and Right-to-Life views are not completely understood. As part of her Planned Parenthood work, Ziglar is planning an educational forum to take place on campus later this month. The forum will include a panel of speakers discussing the medical, religious, psychological and legislative views of abortion. Sr. Class Sale The senior class, in con junction with the Salem Bookstore, sponsored a fundraising clothing sale at the bookstore Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The seniors received 15 percent of the proceeds from all sales of sportswear on the upper level of the store Kent Watts, senior class president, said: “The senior class appreciates the students’ enthusiasm for this sale, as well as other fun draising projects. The class hopes students will continue their support in the future.” ARETE to Sponsor Graduate Panel Arete, Salem’s senior honor society, is sponsoring a graduate panel Sunday from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. in the Drama Workshop. Salem graduates will talk about their graduate life and studies. The graduate students will speak about Salem’s programs, courses and ex periences that helped them in their graduate endeavors and about how general preparation at Salem has served their careers. Sophomores, who must declare their majors at the end of the spring term, are especially invited. A coffee reception will be offered at the end of the panel. During the reception students will have the op portunity to break into groups according to their fields and ask graduate students in dividual questions. Among the graduate students invited are Jennie Smith, Bowman Gray Medical School; Mandy Lyerly, M.A. in classics and comparative languages; and Diana Jolliff, M.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina.^ Energy Bills Exceed $100,000 Heating and lighting dorms and class rooms, providing hot water for showers and electricity for stereos and blow dryers is costing Salem over $100,000 each year. But with awareness and a con scientious effort by students, waste and total cost can be reduced. Last month, Salem’s electricity bill exceeded $9,000. Natural gas was even more startling, the bill totaling $25,966.28 for the month of January, a month when many Salem students weren’t on campus, and electricity was completely turned off for several days during the holidays. According to Donna Upchurch in the Office of Institutional Services, Salem’s energy budget is the second largest next to academics. While the energy bill is not paid directly out of yearly tuition, she says it is definitely a determining factor in the cost of attending Salem. Since energy costs are going up faster than most of See Energy page 4

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