Western Kentucky University - Talisman Yearbook (Bowling Green, KY)

Page 30 text:

ee et OE Pe oo Ae Se Ae + 4 ‘«

Page 29 text:

Breathitt responded by warning against the “quick-fix methods” of the Reagan campaign. He said time would prove Carter a good president. On Thursday, Oct. 23, Dr. Richard Marius told a campus audience that the 1980 cam- paign was the dullest in recent history. Marius, the director of Harvard University’s freshman writing program, spoke on the topic of “Writing and Thinking: Rhetoric of the ’80 Campaign” as part of the University Lecture Series. Marius criticized the candidates for offering little besides empty speeches with catchy phrases. He said television has influenced cam- ’ paign speech writers to use short, meaningless slogans that sound good on the evening news. “They simply will not say the specific things we wish they would say — to say how they are going to do what,”’ he said. Marius outlined some of the history of public speaking, noting that before speech-making became something for radio and television, fiery public speeches offered people a form of emotional release. “| don’t object to the process of the media pushing the candidates around,” Marius said, “but politicians are now the creations of public relations.” Modern Americans find emotional release through soap operas, the telephone, and sports, Marius said. He blamed voter apathy largely on the can- didates’ failure to provide meaning to the campaign. “But it’s hard to expect voters to react when they’re given so little substance to react to,’’ he said. Joyce Hooker, a junior from Nashville, Tenn., said she knew very few people who were in- terested in the election. “It seems like people thought they'd heard it all before,’’ she said. ‘‘Campaigns seem to be all the same.” Hooker said there wasn’t enough difference between Carter and Reagan to make people want to get involved. “There was so much talk about a change,”’ she said. “But most people thought things would be the same no matter who won.” Fred Wheeler (J CHAMPAGNE IN STYROFOAM CUPS is part of the Reagan victory celebration at Bowling Green headquarters. The group, which included students and Bowling Green residents, was watching the election returns. — Jim Gensheimer ROLLING UP THE FLAG was part of the work after the polls closed. Hershal D. Porter, a city precinct worker does the job at Potter Gray School late election night. Low voter turnout was characteristic of the election. — Jim Gensheimer 25 Election

Page 31 text:

Waiting and wondering The major news events often caused students to await their outcomes in anticipation. mericans waited 444 days for the American hostages to return from Iran. They waited to learn who would be elected their next president. And later, after the president was shot in an assassination attempt, they waited for news of his condition. They waited for a new era in space discovery to begin. And on the lighter side, they wondered who shot J.R. Waiting and wondering. The hostage crisis was an inherited pro- blem. This situation began in November 1979, and seemed to have no end. By day 343 of the captivity, the American spirit seemed to have ebbed, even though Bowl- ing Green had a yellow ribbon rally that day. Negotiations had been fruitless, and at times American diplomats weren't sure who to negotiate with. In Bowling Green, 11 people showed up for the ceremony in support of the hostages. But interest revived as reports announced the hostages were coming home, followed by disappointment in reports that said they werent. Finally, with the help of Algerian diplomats, they came. The waiting was over, but not the wondering. What were these people going to be like after 444 days in confinement. Would they be able to readjust to their home, friends and family? A CAMPAIGN SWING through Louisville gives former governor Ronald Reagan a chance to ride the Belle of Louisville. Reagan was on a campaign tour of Ohio, In- diana and Kentucky before the election. — Todd Buchanan After several days of initial horror stories, the wondering ceased. Many former hostages went on tour, one — Victor Tomseth — came to Western. Tomseth, who spoke to a 900-member au- dience in Van Meter Auditorium, was philosophical about the ordeal, although as a senior political officer he was generally treated better than the average hostage. He described himself and the other former hostages as ‘‘victims of the past.’’ He said the U.S. had had an expensive relationship with Iran, involving trade, fuel and our na tional security. “We couldn't give it up over night.” In the midst of the crisis, the American people elected a new president. Ronald Reagan never had to deal with the hostage crisis; the hostages began their trip home as Reagan took the oath of office. Their tele- vised release overshadowed the inaugural balls in Washington, D.C. The next day, Reagan began concen: trating on the national budget. By February he proposed budget cuts totaling $41.4 billion, which would include the largest tax cut in history. Reagan told the country on a nationally televised broad- cast that no programs, except national defense, would be spared. As a result of pro- posed higher-education cutbacks, Western students could expect to pay as much as one-third more of their educational expenses next year. Western's financial officials — Jim Gensheimer NATIONAL PRIDE was stirred when the space shuttle Columbia returned from its maiden voyage. Louisville sophomore Jeff Offutt watches television on the second floor of Pearce-Ford Tower as the astronauts prepared to leave the shuttle. predicted students would get about $5 million less of the estimated $15.7 million they received in aid the previous year. But the year wasn't entirely depressing. Americans marveled at the first U.S. space launch in six years. The space shuttle Columbia lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 7 a.m. onan April Sunday. The shuttle had been hobbled by delays all through the planning stages, and when a lastminute computer breakdown delayed the trip two more days, space experts feared the entire space program would eventually be ditched. (Reagan's proposed budget recommended severe cuts to the space pro- gram, which had been criticized as frivolous in recent years.) More financial problems came after then ‘President Carter signed an educational amendment that also affected Western students’ pocketbooks. The retroactive law, part of several education amendments, re- quired universities to pay students in work- study programs the federal minimum wage. But instead of helping students, the law caused working hours to be cut. Western and other Kentucky universities didn’t have the money to pay extra wages, so students ended up earning the same amount. Western's problems with the new wage were compounded when university officials decid- ed all students on the payroll (not just those on work-study) should be paid the same. continued on page 28 — Steve Lowry YELLOW RIBBONS became symbols of support for the American hostages in Iran during their 444-day ordeal. Jayceette Karen Munson ties one of the ribbons to a tree in Fountain Square Park during. an October ceremony honoring the hostages. 27 News