Pittsburg State University - Kanza Yearbook (Pittsburg, KS)

Page 27 text:

i MORE AND MORE people have turned to filling their tanks themselves with an effort of trying to save a little money.(photo by Brenda Collins) the rest—but the part that students do pay has risen drastically. Going hand in hand with the rising cost of tuition ($ the price of books. At Pitt- sburg State this is especially emphasized because there Is no textbook rental system; the students must buy outright every textbook they intend to use. Dr. Fischer said that there was a positive note, however. The solid students in the right areas have good foundations for good careers,” he said. The important thing is to make the right choices in order to make the economic sacrifices worthwhile. The economic advantages of living with one's parents, said Dr. Fischer, will probably contribute to the continuation of Pittsburg State as a commuter college. The psychological impact of being poor may be less for students than for other people, said Dr. Fischer, because most of a student's friends are in the same boat. There Isn’t the pressure of income hierarchy. Although today’s inflation hits everyone, students are the hardest hit. But they are also the ones most likely to come out of their personal economic slump with better jobs and more hope for the future. GAS PRICES sky rocketed as a result of the oil shortage photo by Brenda Collins) DIGGING THROUGH THE PURSE has become an all to commom event for Sheree Gamble In her attempt to cope with higher prices, (photo by Brenda Collins)

Page 26 text:

The Price Ule llaue to Pay by Max McCoy For the past decade inflation has been named one of the top news stories of each year by United Press International. Some Americans are more affected than others by it, and students are especially vulnerable. Dr. Charles Fischer, assistant professor of economics, said that given the current economic situation, students have two main concerns from inflation—food and housing. An overwhelming majority of student income goes for these two commodities. Rent of all types of housing has in- creased significantly in recent years. Dr. Fischer attributed this skyrocketing to the over-all high cost of residential housing, including the price of building materials and ever—higher interest rates. Although there has been a rapidly in- creasing demand for housing, there has been no significant building because of prohibitive costs. This results, said Dr. Fischer, in longer waiting for “nice” apartments, and historically low vacancy rates. It also tends to create a situation of paying more for less. Food has taken it’s largest monthly jumps in over five years. But unlike housing costs, there is more of an op- portunity for the wise consumer to cut corners. A good shopper, willing to substitute “tuna fish for steak,” said Dr. Fischer, can lessen the effects of in- flation. Restraining the urgeto “impulse buy” is a key in cutting a food budget. Everyone has heard the story that you shouldn’t grocery shop while you're hungry. That story is valid. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Pian each meal in advance. Another group of students who have been hard hit by inflation are commuters. Pittsburg State is traditionally a com- muter college, and with gasoline priced at a dollar per gallon, changes in driving habits are required. Tighter class scheduling for less trips and carpooling when possible are needed to offset the higher price of gasoline. The use of economy cars has also become predominant. Dr. Fischer said that since most working students are either unskilled or semi-skilled, prices are rising at a r tte significantly higher than wages. Working students must cope with a decrease in real income, and in purchasing power, which excludes the consumption of luxuries. Unfortunately, most students view record albums as one of the basic building blocks of life. A lot of students are going to have to wear the grooves in their older record deeper. In an attempt to control Inflation, the federal government has tried to put the brakes on the economy, Dr. Fischer said, which results in a looser labor market. Layoffs proliferate. Students looking for work are finding It more and more dif- ficult to locate jobs. The major obstacle that most students must somehow find a way to overcome is tuition costs. The tuition a student pays doesn't foot the entire cost of his education—the government makes up OFF-CAMPUS HOUSEING COSTS have escalated to the point where a great many students have found dormitory or fraternity and sorority housing to be less expensive, (photo by Alan Ford)

Page 28 text:

Controversy Strikes Senate by Janet Stites Impeachment proceedings, high tur- nover of senators, a new vice president and a threatened libel suit were all a part of the 1979-80 Student Senate. John Perry, Ghent, KY., senior, and Mark Huffman, Olathe senior, were elected president and vice-president respectively, in an upset election. Perry, who was the chairman of the election board, resigned from his position at the last minute after the deadline for filing was extended. While many considered this move unethical, it did not stop Perry and Huffman. They hit the campaign trail in full force with the idea that Student Senate had previously been responsive to only a small portion of the student body, and they wanted to represent everyone. Approximately 22 per cent of the student body voted, and Perry and Huffman were declared the new Student DISCUSSING SEVERAL OF the trials and tribulations confronted by the Student Senate during the fall are Mark Huffman and John Perry, (photo by Bob Benignus) Senate president and vice-president. Perry and Huffman adopted a very loose type of student government. Senate meetings were conducted in an informal manner. Perry was definitely not a conventional senate president, ad- dressing university officials by their first names and hitch-hiking to Board of Regents meetings. He attended senate meetings wearing a red bandana over his long, curly hair accented with a marigold. Perry was an idealistic type of person. He felt that he and Huffman were predestined to become president and vice-president. He had great dreams, and during the president's report he would present ideas and philosophize about the effect his ambitions would have on the University, Many senators did not condone Perry and Huffman’s behavior, and tension mounted. The first senate meeting began 25 minutes late due to a lack of a quorum, and Perry seemed unable to generate enthusiasm in the senators. Things came to a head after the Collegio ran an editorial on Sept. 19 requesting the resignation of Perry as president. The Collegio’s editorial sparked the senators, who had talked of impeachment, to take action. Rick Van Pelt, Webb City, Mo., senior, presented the first reading of a resolution on Sept. 19 asking for Perry and Huffman's resignations. The resolution asked for the resignations on four grounds, the first being that Perry and Huffman had allowed mismanagement and misap- propriation of funds. This referred to an incident where $80 was taken from the Public Information Commission account by the treasurer, Tim Stewart, Overland Park junior, to pay for a picnic, without the consent of Molly Vomhof, Olathe junior, who was the commissioner. Perry had collected two dollars from each senator, but did not use it to pay the bill. Perry said that the money had been in his personal savings account during the five months that the discrepency went unnoticed. The resolution also said that Perry and Huffman had neglected the respon- sibilities of president and vice-president, and had neglected to follow con- stitutional policies and procedures. Van Pelt said that Perry had not at- tended the first Board of Regents meeting, that there had not been an official secretary in the senate office for