PAGE 2
THE TWIG
FEBRUARY 8, 1982
THE TWIG
msnsQ'ith odfcgp
RACEI&'H, north CAROLINA 27«11
Editor*ln-chief
Lori Howell
Senior Reporters
Lisa Sorrels,
Linda Seilers,
Staff Reporters
Shlrene Hritzko.
Emily Crafg,
Lauren Starboard'
Columnist
Kathleen McKeel
Lauren Wortbin^on
Business Manager
Carolyn i>unn
Layout Editor
Kathleen McKeel
Layout Staff
Fran Little,
YvonneSJamaar, Faith Weils
Adveitlsing Manager
Cinda Bodford
Advertising Staff
Sarah Walker,
Beth Knox ^
Circulation Managers
Catherine McLeod.
Stephanie Prevatte
Faculty Advisors
Mr. BUI Norton,
Dr. Thomas Parramwe,
Dr. Donald Samson
The TWIG welcomes comment and will give prompt
consideration to any criticisms submitted in writine and
signed by the writer.
Coest Editorial
Right To Life Or
Right To Choose?
By Kellie Farlow, Junior
Psychology Major
In keeping with the 1981-82 Student Government Asso
ciation’s Iheme of “Awareness,” I would like to encour
age all Meredith students to be aware of the current sta
tus of legal abortion in this country. The fact is that Con
gress is very close to passing a constitutional amend
ment which would ban all abortions — under any cir
cumstances. Think about this for a moment. This amend
ment, which is being lobbied for by so called ‘‘Right to
Lifers," would strip American women of their constitu
tional right to choose, which is supposed to be “the great
American way.”
I think that every woman should have command over
her own body; therefore. I am “Pro Choice.” We all know
that abortions will be performed, legally or illegally.
Why should any woman have to entertain the tragic
thought of a “back-alley butcher?” I feel that this coun
try would be makingan unforgiveable mistake ifsuch an
anti-abortion amendment is passed. I urge each ofyou to
read more about this possibility and to write to your
Congressman stating your opinion. Unfortunately, Wa
shington is flooded with very wealthy and powerful
“Right To Lifers.” Your Congressman is hearing only
one side ofthis highly emotional issue. Please, join and
sup'port those of us who believe that every woman
should have the right to choose the very real option of
abortion. For more information on the legal aspects of
abortion, write to: Reproduction Freedom Project,
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation. 132 West
43rd Street. New York, N Y. 10036. As women, it is our
duty to stay abreast ofthis issue.
Resume Counseling
Monday — 9-12
Thursday — 9-12
Cull
Career Services —
833-6461
for app»intm‘iit
Meredith’s Dress Code
.''But they told me Meredith doesn’t have a uniform...”
No. Meredith doesn’t have a uniform — here there is a
choice. One can be Jane Prep or Jane Slob. This dress
code exists as unwritten law and most students comply
willingly. Actually the dual-uniform code works quite
nicely — I’m really surprised no one has initated it for
use where a written code is followed. A Jane Slob uni
form is extremely useful when one has an eight o'clock
class. As one can see in the description following this ar
ticle, the Jane Slob uniform is simple to assemble in the
early morning when '«ne’s mind Is not up to its full per
formance level. As well as being easy to put on, the Slob
uniform requires none of the extra frills that are neces
sary with the Prep uniform. There is no need to comb
hair, put on make-up, or wear jewelry when one plans to
wear the Slob uniform. The Prep uniform is more comr
mon after noon, after one has had time to wake up and
properly coordinate the various parts. This uniform be
comes more popular when women need brownie points
in a class, take courses at State, or are on their way to
meet a man. In order to distinguish between Jane Prep
and Jane Slob winter uniforms, consult the following
lists:
(Continued on Page 3)'
By Land Or By Sea
By Stephen A. Cambine
Dr. Cambine is an Editor
at Public Research, Syndicat
ed.
(c) Public Research,
Syndicated, 1982
The Reagan Administra
tion’s plans to modernize and
improve the combat capabili
ties of the nation's armed for
ces have given rise to a dis
pute between the Army and
the Navy over which of them
ought to receive the greater
share of an increasing de
fense budget. The outcome of
this dispute is likely to deter
mine the course of American
military strategy for the fore
seeable future.
The dispute has been en
gendered by two separate,
though related, changes in
the military-strategic bal
ance between the U.S. and
the U.S.S.R,
The first is the change in
the military balance of power
in Europe. As a direct conse
quence of deploying some
250 SS-20 missiles, the So
viets have gained theater nu
clear superiority over NATO.
The second is the change in
the global strategic balance.
Soviet politico-military oper
ations in Africa, the Middle
East and Southwest Asia
have placed Moscow in a po
sition to cut off at its source
the supply of oil and other
raw materials vital to the
West. Moreover, the growing
capability of the Soviet Navy
is making it increasingly dif
ficult for the U.S. to approach
those regions by sea in order
to oppose those operations.
Both changes have impor
tant implications for Amer
ican strategic planners. In
Europe, the Soviet nuclear
advantage upsets NATO’s fif
teen year-old defense plan to
make early use of nuclear
weapons to equalize the War
saw Pact’s historical super
iority in conventional forces.
A number of proposals have
been put forth to redress the
nuclear imbalance, but a bal
ance is the most that NATO
can hope to achieve given the
current political climate in
Europe.
A nuclear balance, howev
er, is far less than NATO once
enjoyed. While it may serve
to deter Soviet use of nuclear
weapons, it will not restore to
NATO its option to use nucle
ar weapons to -offset the
Pact'sd conventional super
iority. Consequently, NATO
will be forced to expand its
conventional forces.
From the Army’s point of
view, the very least that will
be required of the U.S. under
thesie circumstances is a sig
nificant increase in dollar
outlays for newer, more ad
vanced weapons with greater
“first-shot kill” capabilities.
Beyond that, the U.S. might
find itself compelled to in
crease the number oftracti-
cal air squadrons deployed
to Europe, improve its com
mand, communications and
control systems, increase the
mobility of its troops by pro
viding more helicopters, ar
mored fighting’vehicles and
tanks, and to increase the
amount of war material pre
positioned in Europe.
For their part. Navy plan
ners do not deny the dangers
posed to Europe by the So
viets. What they do deny is
that Europe ought to be the
principal theater of U.S. con
cern. They contend that the
Europeans are capable of
providing all of the addition
al conventional forces
needed for their defense.
Rather than become more
deeply involved in Europe.
Navy planners argue that the
U.S. should turn its attention
to meeting the challenge
posed by the Soviets to the
West’s vital political and eco
nomic interests in Africa, the
Middle East, and Southwest
Asia. As events in Angola,
Iran, and Afghanistan have,
made plain, the U.S. is with
out the means for meeting
that challenge.
More specifically, the Navy
is arguing th^t the fieet
should be expanded by one-
third, to600 ships, and its am
phibious warf'are capability
improved. Taken together,
these efTorts would enable
the U.S. to oppose Soviet in
terventionism in peacetime
and to destroy the Soviet
fleet in wartime. After the
periphery of the U.S. and Eu
rope is protected, and after
American control of the seas
is secured, the U.S. might
then be free to again focus its
attention on Europe.
Thus far the Navy seems to
be winning the dispute. Press
reports indicate that the Nav
y's shipbuilding budget will
more than double in 1983.
More importantly, it has been
reported that the Secretary
of Defense has directed each
of the service secretaries to
prepare their five-year
budgets so that the force
structure and war plans of
the Army and Air Force will
be in support of the Navy’s
stragetic plans.
The Army, and its suppor
ters in Congress, have not re
signed their position in the
dispute as a re.sult ofthis di
rective. With respect to Eu
rope, it has been objected
that to reduce the U.S. com
mitment to NATO now, at a
time when America's relia
bility is already being ques
tioned by some of its allies,
would be the height of politi
cal irresponsibility. Moreov
er, a lack of American inter
est in Europe might tip the
political balance in some
(Continued on Page 3)
stKool
a sVyic+
honor Code!