University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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1984 Characterized by Controversy Why I Voted for Reagan Students had widely varying reasons about why they supported Reagan. Here are a few that were expressed in the Razorback poll. Fayetteville sophomore Julie Muncy said, I believe that Reagan has done a good job of leading the country in his first four years of office. I am not in favor of a female vice-president. Policies were important to Shawn Ab- ney of Tulsa. I firmly believe Reagan ' s a good man and has promising policies, although all his policies have not yet been implemented. He deserves a chance to finish his promises to the citi- zens of the U.S. Donna Isaacs, a freshman from Maga- zine cited leadership as a concern. I don ' t see any evidence of leadership in Mondale, and I believe Reagan has im- proved the nation ' s economy and will continue to do so if he is re-elected. Tim Carter ' s response was directly re- lated to his own best interests. Reagan is good for business and I ' m a business major! Carter was a senior from North Little Rock. 91 a Hi 1 P o, or Et i V V 26 Electkxi

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Governor Clinton regained his second term in office in the Election of ' 84 only to face a very controversial year. Education standards and teacher test- ing became front-page news all over our state and thrust Arkansas into the nation- al spotlight. The new standards would affect new students at the University in the fall of 1986. Many students felt this was a much needed change in the public schools, but tempers flared in response to the pro- posed testing of the state ' s educators. Proponents said they knew of many teachers they ' d had in recent years who were incompetent and might be weed- ed out by the testing. But opposition came from teachers and the Arkansas Education Association which felt the tests would create a witch hunt hyste- ria among educators and would eventu- ally only hurt the education system. Clinton, however, stood his ground and teacher testing was put to its own test in the spring. Education was the talk of many during the 84-85 term and the effects of the year ' s changes will not be forgotten for several years to come. Also part of the November elections - and a source of much confusion to many voters - were several amend- ments. Students were presented with five amendments as part of the ' 84 state ballot. Amendment 62 passed - allowing towns, cities, and counties to sell capital improvement bonds at a rate two per- cent above the Federal Discount rate. This allowed local governments to raise monies for capital improvement pro- jects. Amendment 63 did not pass. It was the attempt to establish a uniform per- sonal property tax system for all Arkan- sas counties. Amendment 64 was the widely sup- ported amendment lengthening Arkan- sas ' constitutional officers ' terms from two to four years. A vast majority of the students surveyed voted for this amend- ment. I believe it would strengthen policies and programs within the state and cut down campaign expenses, said one stu- dent who was polled. On the other hand, a few students didn ' t feel this was a beneficial move. The terms are just fine the way they are. We can get a bad office-holder out of office sooner the old way, one said. Amendment 64 passed in spite of some cautious voters. Amendment 65 was the controversial Unborn Child Amendment which was struck from the ballot after its title was ruled unconstitutional. It was believed the title might unfairly influence voters. This amendment became a very emo- tional topic as it would have prohibited state-funded abortions. Many vocal student leaders voiced their approval, along with campus orga- nizations, to pass the amendment. Pro-life and pro-choice became four- letter words depending on the side you supported. Even though it was not on the ballot, the Razorback poll garnered some strong comments from several stu- dents. Abortion is a topic which should be dealt with on an individual basis and a set law will eventually be unfair to some- one, responded one young man. One woman student was very straight forward with her opinion. No one has the right to tell a woman what to do with her body! If state funding was stopped, then the right to have an abortion may be taken away, too. Additionally, it is bet- ter for a child not to exist than to be unfed or unloved. Yet another response from a man was in blatant disagreement. I don ' t believe every dumb pregnant teen truly needs such funding. One woman student saw the need on both sides however. I feel that the woman has the right to decide on this. But if the state helps pay for abortions it makes it all too easy to make that deci- sion without thinking about it. Amendment 66 was the attempt at establishing legal casino gambling in Car- land County (the Hot Springs area). It didn ' t pass, but did feature the inviting money interest for the state. Casino gambling will attract an unde- sirable element of people to Arkansas and will strike at the state ' s moral fibers, one student pointed out. This was a concern of several groups and religious organizations. But one student noted the needed revenue that passage of amendment 66 would bring. I believe that this amend- ment would increase revenue badly needed for public schools, roads, etc. Another amendment hitting at the money issue was amendment 67 which did not pass. It presented a one-eighth percent sales tax to benefit the Came and Fish Commission. Charlotte Howard State Po ta 25

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A. President Reagan visited Little Rock late during the campaign of ' 84 to promote his own candidacy as well as those of other Arkansas republicans. B. and C. Photos from the Democratic National Con- vention in San Francisco at which UA student Dina Wood was a Mondale delegate. Why I Voted for Mondale Students had just as many reasons for supporting Mondale as Reagan support- ers did for endorsing their candidate. Here are a few of them. Senior Andrew Tedder of Searcy said, I follow exactly the ideologies es- poused on the Mondale Ferraro ticket . . . Reagan ' s deceit and secrecy is seri- ously harming America. Michael Norcross, a junior from Tyr- onza, took a different view. Everyone else is for Reagan, and I love under- dogs. J. E. Wadkins of Marshall said, Reagan should be playing shuffleboard instead of playing space wars. Reagan has no consistency in sanctity of life; he ' s against abortion, but gives all kinds of money so men can be killed in war. And Jasper senior Sheila Pruitt used past record to make her point. The turnaround experienced recently in the economy is the result of the policy of the Federal Government which originated with Paul Volcker, an appointee of the Carter administration. I think Reagan ' s foreign policy and deficit spending is out- rageous and will catch up with him. America needs more than a professional politician at the helm! 1984 was a national election year, and University of Arkansas students were among many who were forced to form their own opinions about whom to sup- port for president and how to react to a woman vice presidential candidate. It would be no secret in years to come that the Democrats made history with the nomination of Ceraldine Ferraro as the running made of candidate Walter Mondale. Women everywhere took note that (whether they supported a woman or not) a woman was finally in the forefront as a major political party candidate. Reagan was faced with the dilemma of trying to garner the women ' s vote and still maintain his predominately con- servative stand on women ' s issues. Abortion became a fierce issue be- tween the two platforms, and young voters had the difficult decisions of re- maining liberal or conservative and choosing a candidate. Religion was also thrust into the ring with student prayer and Ferraro denouncing her Roman Ca- tholicism in favor of an individual ' s right of choice in abortion. Needless to say, the fall semester at the University was cracking with election controversy. Who will forget the monumental de- bates between Reagan and Mondale, and Bush and Ferraro? Many students put off doing an evening ' s homework to tune in to his or her favorite candidate doing verbal battle. The UA ' s own Col- lege Republicans and Young Democrats staged debates. Bumper stickers were everywhere on student and faculty cars. Pre-election rhetoric seemed to bring a renewed interest in the welfare of our nation. No matter which side you were on, you couldn ' t argue with the refresh- ing enthusiasm that the campaigns left in their path. Of course, when the smoke cleared, Ronald Reagan was still president win- ning with a landslide of electoral votes. Nonetheless, the election had a nota- ble impact on the campus, with many students registering to vote in Washing- ton County as student organizations worked together to involve more stu- dents in the democratic process by es- tablishing the Union as a voter registra- tion site. Charlotte Howard Bection 27