1979_12 The Daily Collegian December 1979

              TheDai-yCoSegian
Book Review:  Trial and Terror
Author loses goal in own self-pity
By Don Schlieru
Dairy Collegian Managing Editor
Books usually are written for a pur-
. pose, and so it is a sad thing when a
book is written for one reason and loses
itself along the way.
Trial and Terror does exactly that.
This book was obviously written with
, the grand goal of exposing the ques¬
tionable practices of California state
mental institutions and as a commentary
against the enforcers and the makers
of the law. But in actuality, it accom¬
plishes neither.
The story is told by Phil Conrad to
his father Bernie. The story itself is a
good idea, but the book is a failure be¬
cause it never achieves its goal, never
makes the points  it  sets  out  to do.
Several years ago, Phil was found in
the basement of his home shot in the
head by a gun lying a few inches from his
left hand Near by, his two daughters
had also been killed by the same pistol.
The police naturally assumed attempted
Phil suffers brain damage that causes
him to forget the incident and paralyzes
him down his left side.   While lying in
Dictionary
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Each Friday for the next three
weeks the Kennel Bookstore is
having a drawing for an indexed
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No purchase is necessary. To be
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lower level, and fill out a coupon!
Rereister each week.
I
KENNEL
BOOKSTORE
(In The Heart Of.Tbe Campus)
the hospital, the police arrest him for
the murder of his two little girls.
From there, the story continues about
Phil's stay in the hospital, his conviction
of not guilty by reason of insanity,
and his year and a half spent in a mental
institution. All the good basic itjgre-
dients for a great book.	
However, what could have b-jen a
superb expose of the penal system in
California instead becomes a podium for
Phil Conrad to vent his own self-pity and
Phil seems set to convince the reader
that he is not guilty, that he was severe¬
ly mistreated at the institution and that
life just seems to keep handing him a
bowl of cherry pits. Well, we all have
our problems.
He keeps reminding us of his missing
piece of scull on the top of his head and
what a dangerous situation for himself it
would be in a prison. After revealing
his moment of anguish on learning that
he had shot his two daughters, he is
heartened by his father's words of hope.
1 Story Penthouse
From then on we are constantly remind¬
ed of how much he loved his daughters.
We also are given the menus of the
institution from breakfast to supper and
how he beat the system by eating Wheat
Thins that his parents  smuggled  in.
Phil is not content in giving us just
-his story, but he also adds his uem-
thoughts about bureaucratic red tape,
law enforcement, the'medical ethic and
how great his mom and dad are, A sane
reader    can    only    take    so    much.
A lot of the book is melodramtic clap
spiced with unbelievable naivity at
times. Instead of feeling sorry for him¬
self, Conrad should have developed the
story without all the personal insight
and let the reader develop his own
feelings about the system that screwed
As it is, the reader may find it hard to
continue the book. You can only take the
same quote from Dante's Inferno so ma¬
ny times before giving up. And how ma¬
ny times do we have to read about the
'cold hot cakes smothered with molas¬
ses andthe haH-sour milk?'
Wedon't. We can just close the book
and pick up something by Hemingway.
Trial and Terror should be retitled,
The Trials and Tribulations of Poor Phil
Conrad./    \
Ivfoi^uac series
features Christmas*
classical rrtusic
Music for pipe organ, harp, and hand¬
bells is featured in the third free concert
of the University Presbyterian Church
Mini-Music Series December 9 at 4 p.m.
in the church sanctuary.
The concert will include light classical
works and Christmas music featuring
individual instruments and combinations
of the three.
The church is located at the corner of
Cedar and Roberts Avenues across from
the CSUF campus.
4615 N. FRESNO STREET
Fresno & Gettysburg Plaza
PHONE 222-6180/     _■
OMEN LATE 7 DAKS A WEEK
**********
For that project
you've labored over so long.
PERMANENT BINDING
Wide selection of cover material.
PRINT & COPY   CENTER
Lower Level
KENNEL BOOKSTORE
(In The Heart Of The Campus)
.......*.'..
Fertilizer Production
For graduate with BS in Chemistry.
$1,000-51,500 a month. Mo experi¬
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past jobs to:
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. __J_8 Fargo Ave.
Lemore, CA 93245
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Swimmers: 'Potential to beat anyone'says coach
Two years ago, before Don Laster en¬
tered onto the scene, CSUF's men's
swimming team did not win a single dual
This year, featuring a freshman, four
junior college transfers and 11 swimmers
in all, not including two divers, Laster
feels his team has the capability of win¬
ning every dual meet, with the exception
of Pepperdine, whom CSUF opens the
regular season against on Jan. 5.
-We have the potential to beat any¬
body in a dual meet,* he says, 'except
Pepperdine.*
Should they get by the Waves, Las¬
ter 's team could be in for a successful
campaign. But according to Laster, the
season is 'irrelevant* to success. What
counts, he says, is the league champion¬
ship at the end of the season.
'Only one meet counts for us,*
stressed Laster. "That Is the final meet,
the PCAA championships."
To prepare his team for the crucial
meet, he says his swimmers will 'swim
tired all year.* They are currently work¬
ing out at 10,000-12,000 yards a day,
with morning and afternoon workouts,
and will continue to do so, he says, until
he starts the gradual 'taper* during the
season. The distances will then taper off
T slowly to the final workouts for the
PCAA's of 2,500-3,000 yards.
'Part of my philosophy is to tear them
(his swimmers) down physically for that
final meet,' he said. The workouts will
decrease, considerably and morning
workouts will be eliminated.'
The team Laster will 'tear down* is
quite small compared to other teams.
Not including the divers, Laster only has
11 bodies to work with. Most schools
have 20-30 to pull from. Not that Laster
is unaccustomed tb few swimmers. Last
year he only had 10 people, and no
divers.
"We're still a small team, but we have
better quality swimmers than last season
and we only lost one swirnmer,* Laster
stated.
That swimmer was Mario Plasencia,
CSUF's record-setting butterflier, who
graduated.
Despite his graduation, Laster feels
the 'Dogs have a potentially better flier
in sophomore Rob Hatch, whom Laster
has been associated with since Hatch's
high school days in Santa Cruz, where he
swam against Laster's Soquel High
School. He feels Hatch will break both of
Mario's records in the 200-yard butterfly
and individual medley.
In the past, Fresno has always been
strong in the butterfly and backstroke.
And with Hatch, the butterfly is once
again secure. To back up Hatch, Laster
has the services of Paul Taniguchi, a se¬
nior in school but rookie to swimming
collegiately.
The backstroke should also figure well
with the return of Paul Brumm. A senior,
he is the only swimmer to have swum
here all four years and is this holder of
the school's 200-yard backstroke record.
Laster is confident he will break his own
existing record in the200and figures the
100-yard mark will also be broken by
Brumm. Backing up Brumm is Rob's
older brother, Jon Hatch. He is a senior
and 'just a shade behind Brumm,* ac¬
cording to • Laster. 'He gave him
(Brumm) a good battle all last season.'
Also available is JC transfer John De-
Wolfe, from Cabrilio College.
While the fly and backstroke are again
the strength of the team, Laster says
there is no real weakness, either. The
breas(stroke and middle distance are
coming along, and the sprints and free¬
style feature 'capable' performers.
In the breast, Andy Dyer and J C trans¬
fer from Cabrilio, Matt .touts, will help
the team out nicely should they progress
at the rate Laster hopes during he sea¬
son. The middle distances and distance
(1,000 yard free-style) should be filled to
. fit the bill by the Hatch brothers and
Alan Kennedy, who will share the dis¬
tance event with Rob Hatch and Paul
Brumm.
Another upper division student who
wll be swimming foohe first time at
CSUF is sprinter Bob Hagen, a junior,
expected to sh*re the spotlight with
Doug Richards, another J C transfer from
Golden West College.
With four' of the team's dual meet
losses last year not decided until the fi¬
nal relay, Laster could have used some
divers, which account for two events. He
had only one and only for the final
month, at that. This year, he has the ser¬
vices of two, JC transfer from COS, Jay
Adams, and freshman Brian Doyle, out
of Bullard High. 'We are.really helped
with those two this year,' Laster said.
Though the regular season doesn't
begin until the Pepperdine meet. Laster
has his team up at Cal-Davis this after¬
noon in a coed meet with the women's
teams. The meet is described as a tune-
up by Laster but is important to the
team, nevertheless.
'It's good to have a meet early in the
year just to give a team a point of refer¬
ence,'he said.
Laster expects to open up with a win in
Northern California. "We can beat
Davis. Last year, we had a dose meet,
but we didn't have any divers then. It
can go either way.'
Campus group
backs Kennedy
A campus organization currently be¬
ing formed to support Senator Edward
Kennedy in his bid for the nomination as
the Democratic candidate for presiden-
Both Luis Sepulveda and Ron Ramirez
are involved in increasing the organiza-
tion's membership. Currently they are
helping to organize a fund raising dinner
for Kennedy. The dinner will be held at
the Fresno airport and will cost $15 per
person.
They also plan to have club meetings
every week. For more information Luis
can be contacted at 221-1375 and Ron at
435-6677.
Do It For Your Mother.
Careers in Advertising. Graphic Design. Illustration.
rior'Design. Photography, and Fine Art. (Drawing. Painting.
Sculpture, and Pri    nakirig).
I would like to receive your catalog.
ACADEMY OF AST COtXEGL •
5_n_t SI .,_*_-Mr* _.CA_I_
?pi
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DEC. 4■'_- 5
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C.U.L0UN6E