Page 4 Opinion University Daily Kansan, February 11, 1983 Cuts killing programs Something has got to give. Departments within the University of Kansas, and likely within other state universities as well, are being strained to the breaking point. The effects of budget cuts grow continually more ominous. As the situation deteriorates, the state will find itself with fewer and fewer options. To those with any foresight, it must be obvious that with each new belt-tightening, the life of these departments is slowly but convincingly strangled. At KU, students are hindered by classes that are canceled or that, as in the biology and chemistry department, can no longer afford sufficient lab or classroom training. The chemistry department budget was cut 42 percent, and the sciences are not alone in this dilemma. Throughout the University, fewer faculty take on more work, and as they and their students know, morale and classroom performance have suffered. If the state cannot make a commitment to remedy the situation — in dollars, not words — legislators, educators and students had better be prepared for bitter possibilities. Perhaps it will take something more dramatic to bring the severity of the situation home to individual legislators and to voters: If they can't provide an education to students already attending Regents institutions, the policy of open admissions to graduates of Kansas high schools will have to be reconsidered. It is only a matter of time. They may choose to watch while departments die out, as faculty leave, graduates go elsewhere and students refuse to pay to attend schools that cannot educate. Or they may find that the only way out is to drop entire university programs. WASHINGTON — President Reagan turned 72 last Sunday, and a honor of young College Republicans turned into fawning her worshippers at a staged birthday at the White House. Students fawn unashamedly at president's birthday party College students usually are not considered conservative, either politically or socially, but the group unleashed in the White House last week was about as far to the right as Jerry Falwell. Reagan's little party, sponsored by the Republican National Committee and attended mostly by College Republicans from Catholic University and George Washington University here, was unpublished other than by word of mouth. He often works better than a full-page newspaper ad. Reservations were required, but that simply entailed making a quick phone call to the Republican National Committee and giving your name, social security number, birth date and LISA MASSOTH congressional office of employment or school attended, whichever was the case. Then all we young, eager president-watchers had to do was show up at the White House at 2:30 p.m. with some photo identification. Sunday, Feb. 6, dawned cold and cloudy and graced Washington with its first snowfall of the year. Not to be deterred by a few snowflakes, several other congressional interns and I set out for the White House to catch a glimpse of our president. Since only the insane drive here, we walked the distance, about two miles, in a falling snow. Sure enough, a long line of people huddled on the roof of the house, also cater for a glimpse of the president. We approached the shivering group of young people, who identified themselves as College Republicans, and felt a bit out of place without their presence in slacks, the College Republican nation costume. Our group of interns, all liberal Democrats, fell in line, hair dripping and feet numb. We cursed ourselves for the senselessness of the episode, yet not one among us was to give up his or her first real session with a U.S. president, even if it was Ronald Reagan. We did our token share of Democratic grumbling, though. The line moved dreadfully slowly, but we finally made it through government security and climbed the stone steps to the White House. We were directed through halls, down corridors and up more stairs before we heard raucous cheers erupt from the front lobby. We pushed into the crowd of about 300 shouting college students just as Reagan's cheeved voiced boomed out over the microphone. I shoved into the crowd and yelled, "I'm sorry." My view was tilted to a sea of bobbing heads. There he was, flashing that familiar smile and working the crowd like a faith healer. And that crowd of young Republicans played right along, flushed with egesta. "I heels great, doesn't he, folks!" shouted a married-to-college student. The respondent "I feel younger than I did 20 years ago," gushed the president. Admittedly, Reagan did look good. His rosy face and broad shoulders made him look younger than I had expected him to. His casual attire matched his attitude. He wore a bright red turtleneck sweater, dark slacks and a checked blazer. The birthday guests were not served cake or ice cream, but the sugar-coated conversation suffaced. They implored Reagan to run again in the race and be the chant of "Eighty-four, eighty-four, eighty-four." After all the political patter, Reagan leaned over the railing around his platform to shake hands with grasping admirers and receive gifts that were thrust upon him. These gifts included a Nike box full of chocolate chip cookies and a straw cowboy hat. Reagan handled the crowd superbly, but it was largely because they were Republican political putty. He truly was charismatic, but he did not speak well off the top of his head. He tried to reply to each question with a one-liner, but the party ran a little thin by the end of the party. When the crowd was appeased and the jokes ran out, President Reagan waved his hat with a flourish and, flashing that politician's smile, stairs to the private quarters of the White House. Ronald Reagan had once again charmed his audience without saying a thing. But then, the young politicians didn't really want to hear why they wanted a taste of politics in the true arena. Lisa Massott, Madison senior, was one of 15 students selected nationally for a Sears Congressional Internship for Journalism Students. She received an EOE and was assigned to Rep. Douglas K, Beruteren, R-Neb. KANSAN The University Daily Kannan (UDFS 600-640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Fulton Hall, Kannan, KS 66302. Subscriptions are $75 per month during the annual meetings, excluding annual sales, holidays, Sunday and final periodicals at Lawrence, Ks. Carnack, Subscriptions by mail are for six months or $7 per unit. Douglas County students pay through the student activity fee *PASSMASTER*. Send address changes to the University Daily Kannan. Business Manager Matthew P. Langar Work-study bill needs support Federal and state budget cuts in education seem to be getting deeper and deeper. During times in which our country is an economic crisis, the budget cuts are one of the first budgets put on the chopping block. Budget cuts in education not only hurt the quality of academics at a university, but also increase the costs for students to attend the university. They still be hope for the dwindling education budget. But is this recommended appropriation of funds just a symbolic effort by the governor to try to limit student outcomes? Or does the state require that schools of making it through the Kansas Legislature? A work-study program was developed last summer by the Student Advisory Committee, made up of Regents school student body addresses, and the Associated Students of Kansas. Gov. John Carlin has recommended an appropriation of $200,000 to finance a work-study program that would help students defray the costs of higher tuition. These student government agencies formulated the program in response to financial aid cuts in President Reagan's fiscal year 1983 budget. The proposal, officially titled the Kansas Student Employment Program, is modeled after one now being used in Washington. ASK thinks that Carlin's recommended $700,000 allocation could best be spent by adopting its proposal. Concerning Carlin's opinion of the program, Carmali Hadi, a member of the governor's According to Mark Tallman, ASK executive director, most legislators like the idea of the work-study program, but they question whether there will be money available to fund it. policy staff, and Mike Swenson, the governor's press secretary, both said Carlin saw the attack. JOHN BOWER "The success of the bill will depend entirely upon public support, mainly student support," Tallman said "ASK is doing all that it can do, Now the support has to come from the students." The proposed $700,000 allocation has been put in the Kansas Board of Regents Student Assistance Budget, but before any money can be used, the board must be passed by the Kansas Legislature. Once the proposal has been put in the form of a bill it will first have to be go through the Ways and Means Committee, and then it will be brought to the full Legislature. If the bill passes in the Legislature, the work-study program will go into effect in fiscal year 1984. The Kansas Student Employment Program, as proposed by ASK, will have an eligibility requirement and try to provide jobs in academics. Eligibility will be based on need, and a student will only be allowed to earn enough money to make up for his need. Work-study programs are generally more politically palatable than loan or grant programs because the student is working in an academically related job. The work-study program is also and simply an "I want some money" proposal. The student must earn the money. Additionally, studies have proven that students with jobs are more likely to remain enrolled at a university if their employment and their education are linked. At a time when universities are fighting to keep enrollment up, this program makes good sense. However, because the work-study proposal is a new program, it will be on the top of the list when it comes time to start cutting the budget. Unless students get behind this program and work to get it passed, the Legislature will not view it as viable. Student governments are always criticized for ignoring the student body's needs. This is one issue in which the student governance systems in state state have worked hard for their fellow students. The work-study program was developed by concerned students in student government, but in order for the bill to pass, it will require a great deal of student support. The voice of the student governments is only as strong as its constituents'. Unions complete cycle of violence Paying 25 cents a day. Editor Rebecca Chaney But that's not right. Man can't live on 25 cents a day. Man has a right to live, even to live well. But what if we不恐 work for that, what if none of us will work? What'll you do then? We will pick outside your factory and tell folks not to work for those wages. Won't pay more. If you pick neat near my business I'll have the authorities in. They'll stop you. They'll beat you. Maybe they kill you. You'll work for 25 cents a day and be glad. But we can’t. If we work for you we have a right to more than that. We have a right to some Paying 25 cents. I'll call the authorities in. *Paying excuses.* They can the Abraha people were beaten. And some even died. But the people knew they had a right. When a man has a right, he can be beaten and not give up. When something is right the public knows. The public saw what was happening. They do have a right to live as humans. Men shouldn't have to work for a wage they can't live on. They shouldn't be forced to work in poor conditions. They shouldn't be beaten for trying to better their lives. Paying well now. More than a dollar a day And things changed. But not much. Man could live on that. Maybe even save something. Just sign this contract and you can work. You'd sign a contract for good wages, wouldn't you? Well, yes, but why can't we organize. Why does the contract forbid it? Organizing is just ensuring that things will remain nice, that wages will remain liveable. Good wages, sign the contract and you'll get payed well. You ought to let us organize. In time we will. It's only a matter of time. Bob And time passed Workers organized, wages got better, condi- MATT SCHOFIELD tients got better, the workers weren't beaten for protesting, and life was better. But the organizations started to grow. People earned their living by running the organizations. But they were not organized into different organizations. But the organizations made things better, so workers joined, and they paid. Pay increased, conditions improved and the organizations struck more and gained more Like to help you, paying good wages, but you got to join the Union first. We got a closed shop, I need work. I'll join, but why do I have to? You the boss, can't you hire me who want? Like to, but we got a closed shop. You look like a good worker, join the Union. Good wages. Dues And the unions grew Why we got to pay at all? Union's only for the workers. What do we need to pay it for? Why can't a man get work without joining a union. Union's getting big. We need full-time people to run it. Get to have them for the good of the 'Cause that would destroy everything we worked for. Destroy everything the Union stands for. Got to join. It's good for the whole. Good for the Union. Just pay. Dues ain't much. Why should I strike. I am piddled well. Family's doing fine. We're even saying some. But the people at that factory, the one over here in that other state, they aren't happy. Got to this. And unions extended beyond individual companies. Extended to whole industries. And My family's got to eat. If I strike don't I get paid. How'll I feed my food. If they got to strike they should strike, but we should be patient. We shouldn't right to feed his family. Why do they need us. It's not for my good. It isn't for our good. Why should we strike in sympathy of them? They have their own Union. Their own way of improving things. We shouldn't have to strike Union们 have to support each other. We got to strike. We're going to strike, come with us or If we strike in support of them it shows more power. Shows that we're a Union. Get to strike But a man's got a right to work. Family needs to eat. What if we won't strike? What if some of the workers got together and decided to continue working? We got lots of men. We'll stop you. Our men have recruits to throw, guns to shoot. We'll stop you. We'll stop you. We'll stop you. But the men had a right to work, and they worked. Many of them were hurt, some were killed. And the cycle was complete. Letters Policy The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. They should include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, the letter should include his class and home town or faculty or staff position. The Kansan reserves the right to edit or reject letters.