University of Wisconsin Stevens Point - Horizon / Iris Yearbook (Stevens Point, WI)

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On Friday. October 9. Senator William Proxmire (D-WI) spoke to UWSP students in the University Center's Wright Lounge. Proxmire touched on a number of topics including the economy, student financial aid. Project ELF. US aid to El Salvador. and the space program. Regarding the economy Proxmire said. For the first time the federal government is sinking over $1 trillion in debt. He feels that now is the time to balance the budget. He continued. 'The two toughest things you can do in Washington these days are to cut spending or increase taxes. Both arc unpopular and that's why the Congress just doesn't want to do this.” Proxmire said he believes that work study is the best program available to students. Student loans should still be provided, but they should be repaid in full. ”1 feel wo have to be careful ai out continuing to provide hums at a 9 percent interest rate when government has to borrow at 15 percent. he said. Proxmire challenged his audience saying. If you want to ask me a question or give me the dickens. go ahead.” In reference to Project ELF. the extreme low frequency communication system proposed for Clam Lake. Wisconsin, and Michigan. Proxmire objected. The Navy said very clearly three months ago that they don't want Project ELF. It's extraordinarily slow— to send one syllable takes minutes. Proxmire stated his opposition to US military aid to El Salvador, saying. It's wrong, not only from a moral standpoint, but aLso from an economic standpoint and a strategic standpoint. Sending arms is simply suppressing people who want freedom Ho than spoke of the space program, in particular, of the Space Shuttle Columbia. He said, My problem with the space program is that there are really veiy few critics of it. When the shuttle took off. everybody thought it was marvelous but it needed criticism. People lost sight of the fact that it had been a real turkey.” We scratched a lot of good scientific programs because the shuttle moved in. he continued. It took over the money that should have been used for much more profound and scientific programs. —Laura Sternweis 20

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The coffee house ... a refuge at the end of the hall, a place to sit down, relax and enjoy. Performers like Linda Black. Doc Hull, and Kim and Reggie Harris entertained many a coffee house audience. Open Mike was another coffee house special. On those nights volunteers had the chance to share their talents. Even the University Center renovations could not close the coffee house’s doors. When the Grid was closed off. a hall was made leading from the doorway of the Grid to that of the coffee house. Although it was a little harder to find during second semester, the coffee house continued to be that refuge, that place to relax. 19

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UWSP was host Oct. 13 to Dr. Sol Gordon, director of the Institute for Family Research and Education and professor of Child and Family Studies at Syracuse University. Gordon, a vocal advocate of sex education in the schools, delivered a speech entitled Developing Your Own Sexuality First: A Pro-Family Message. One of his main premises is that sexuality should be taught not only in the home and church, but in the schools as well. He maintained that parents can be the main educators, but not the exclusive. Sex education must be presented with values and morals, he stressed. One must realize that teenagers shouldn’t have sex because they are too young, too vulnerable, and it’s a health hazard. One of the primary points of Gordon’s speech was directed toward parents. He stressed that they become askable” to their children, meaning that parents should answer their children’s questions openly, honestly, and using the proper terminology. On the subject of free speech, Gordon also warned against allowing special interest groups to withhold his right to speak. He and others with controversial messages have the right to be heard. Don't let the bigots determine what’s going to be taught in our schools. Don’t let the fanatics determine what our children are going to read.” —Lauren Cnare 21