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March 9, 1983 OPINION Insight Insight Insnthl is published on Wednesdays during the at.nkirnt yisir iv tht- tXfunmem ol JDumj/itm. (.ililomu Stall- University. Iresnti Unsig/yed edrtanah n'present the majority op-nkm til Ihe ldrttxi.il Hoard. All other columns, letters and artwork on /h»t p-w represent the tsptnnms of iheir rvspexthiv authors .ind nt* essanry that rrf InsK/hts PETER SCOTT, rsAior-.n-ch.rt ROBERT GAUTHIER. rruruitir* t**««r JEFF KRAUSE. phot., ,*i,„>, MICHAEL TODD otiaie edit,*-,**™*, CYNDI GUERRA. jsst*ute editn-uary BARBARA HAMBY. asvKiafr- rt*or-rntvt i KATHRYN KARIE, jiiVrrtisMK rNarffv Even Barbie ages SALLY PfcTTIS Watching our A.S.S. Tbe Associated Students Senate has been no stranger to controversy. From mishandling student funds to internal bickering between tbe senators, the senate has shown an obvious lack of responsibility and leadership. Insight believes many of the Senate's pro- : blems could be better handled if there were :an advisor to oversee the actions of the J legislative body. AS President Paul Canales, Legislative Vice President (LVP) Michele Davis and Administrative Vice President (AVP) George Santiago are paid representatives who are given no solid supervision. Theoretically, the student body is their boss and the constitution their rulebook. According to Article IV, Section B of the constitution, which outlines the qualifications for the executive officers, (President, LVP and AVP), there is no clause which requires any experience in government or any knowledge of governmental procedures. In fact, all requirements are academically related. Section B states: " To be eligible for nomination to office in the Associated Students a student must have a grade point average of 2.0 based on all college units attempted." "To be eligible for nomination -to the office of President, a^candidate must have completed, or be currently enrolled in sufficient units which upon completion of the semester prior to taking office will total at least 60 units of college work. Candidates for President must have completed the previous semester of college work at CSUF prior to nomination.'' "To be eligible for nomination, candidates for the office of LVP and AVP must have completed or enrolled in sufficient units which upon completion of the semester prior to taking office will total at least 30 units of college work." "Candidates for President, LVP and AVP must be currently enrolled at CSUF." Although the qualification clauses do reflect the democratic process of leaving the executive positions open to established citizens (students), they don't restrict the candidates to only qualified for the ] Student^-vo mistakes. They are J g pa th by a a ■iVTongpi P*fen. hose who are truly j». \ , **"■ ian, and do, make often led down the talker or a slick cam- Should an irresponsible officer, or body of officers, be elected, an advisor would be available to point them in the right direction. Last week's decision to investigate the Daily Collegian's budget after the newspaper requested $600 to fund Collegian participation in an annual journalism convention, was just the latest in a series of irresponsible actions by the Senate. The investigation isn't necessarily a bad decision, but the reasoning behind the decision is at best, petty. Senator Jim Gonzales was quoted as saying he "would like to see some investigation into the (Daily Collegian) budget to see how much pad you have." If Senator Gonzales along with other senate members were suspicious of the Daily Collegian's budget, why didn't they investigate the matter earlier? By using the funding request as a vehicle for the investigation shows a degree of disorganization and misappropriated ideas on the senate's part. The unallocated funds budget mixup earlier this semester, involving AVP George Santiago, was another example of disorganization and a cry for leadership. Should an advisor been overseeing Sanitiago's operation, there may not have been the mixup which resulted in an even more tarnished reputation for this schoof^ year's senate. Should there be an advisor, he/she— ...must be hired on a full-time basis and must have a background in government as well as financial planning. ' ...should oversee each meeting, to guard against any unnecessary actions or procedures by the senate. ...should have monthly consulting sessions with the senatorial body to critique theifac? tions, procedures, etc. ...should only be an advisor, not the boss; the AS president is the person in charge, the advisor is there to make sure the senate is run correctly. If this proposal were to be enacted, every person involved with the senate, including the student body, would benefit. The senators would have a chance to learn how a well-run government works and spend less time compensating for mistakes already made. The student body would be more willing to vote for a candidate, knowing they can trust an advisor to make sure the officer is making the most out of the students' funds. allowance each player receives as she passes home. In the early 1960s, it I guess I am what you might call a seems, a high school girl's chances for "backseat feminist." I mean, why earning money were numerous. She should I fight when I don't see could babysit, wash dishes, type let- anything to fight for? Take ERA, for ters and walk dogs, instance. I personally don't feel com- Along with vast income pelled to fight for it, mainly because I resources, alas, are vast expenses. A feel I'm treated pretty fairly right girl had to pay for club dues. Mother's now. birthday present, and visits to the The Tight has been long and hard, beauty shop. Also, a girl would have to and women have gained a lot, even if pay for football tickets and sodas "if the big ammendment hasn't been without a boyfriend." passed. Though many women have As the game objectives state, a endured stereotyping and being term- girl couldn't become queen of the ed "radicals," I think they have done prom until after she had purchased a a lot in improving the world-they formal dress. There are four to choose have openned a lot of eyes, and things from in the game, the least expensive have changed. being "Silken Flame" for S35, the Take the Barbie Game, for In- most being "Enchanted Evening" for stance. Copyrighted in 1960 by Mattel $65. Toys, the Barbie Game, "Queen of the The players must also become a Prom," claimed it was "a fun game club president of either the drama, with real-life appeal for all girls." I scholarship, athletic, or music clubs, look at it as a marker of achievement- As for boyfriends, there is a -that there aren't many games like it choice of Bob < with a blond crew-cut >. for sale today. Ken (wearing a green bow tie), Tom, The Barbie Game was supposed or Poindexter. You can enter a part of to be an authentic version of the strife the game called "On a date" only if for popularity of the high school girl of you have a boyfriend (Obtained by the early 60s. Unfortunately, the feel- either landing on his space or winning ing of this game is close enough to the him from a Surprise! card i. truth to be a little nauseating today. One of the Surprise! cards reads: The objectives of the game are as "You are voted most popular girl in follows: "Buy a formal dress, get a your class. If you need one, you may steady boyfriend, and be elected club choose any boyfriend who is not president These may be done in any taken, or. you may exchange your order. Then, go on to win the game by present boyfriend (unless he is your becoming QUEEN OF THE PROM." steady datei for any boyfriend not yet In order to buy the dress, there taken." are several ways of earning money - When "On a date." the player the most reliable being the , $5 may encounter many "real-life"' dating experiences. She may land on a space that reads: "He criticizes your hair-do. Go to the beauty shop," or "He talks about cars with dad. Wait here." or. the lucky space: "He askes you to go steady. Celebrate at beach party." After the player has completed all the necessary objectives, she can move on to toe Prom. Yet danger is present even here! Before she lands the tiUe of Queen, she may have the misfortune of delay: "Too bad! Your hem's down. Go to dad's car and pin it up." If the type of attitude that is represented in this game was still present, I - "Stop to chat with girlfriend, lose one turn" - might get upset enough to take a stand. I've always been one of those girls who was disappointed when she received a dollhouse instead of loc blocs and trucks (so I could build my own houses). If the "real-life appeal" of young women in the 1960s only involved shopping, dating and extra-curricular activities (I've purposely avoided the game's rendition of 'school activities' which include losing textbooks and having to return home because of a headache, because it's too insulting. I and nothing else, then I can thoroughly understand why a revolution was needed. Let's hope we don't fall back into this type of demeaning philosophy. Sally Pettis is a junior journalism major who claims dorm food has given her a mental problem. She is one of the normally silent production staff or Insight. life is - SCtZINQ AT LEAST ONE LIVE HOME GAME BEFORE GRADUATION REALLY! ItWCiWas Say 'Bye Bye' Liz Anyone sick about hearing of the Queen of England or any of her doings either here or back home can count the Insight as company. So Queen Elizabeth II has come to California. The Insight would rather see the ship. It's not the person of the Queen that is so upsetting, but rather the attendant hoopla. After all, Liz can hardly help being who she is. It's doubtful that of all the babies lined up in heaven waiting to be born that she yanked on the Almighty's robe and asked to be the Royal Infant Perhaps a lot of the hype results because of the big response to the wedding of Chuck and Di. News of those two reminds us of the similarities between fish and company, as pointed out by Benjamin Franklin. After three days, they all stink. So why is it that most of us could name the offspring of Chuck and Di's union? It's not as if the throne has any power, except over a small segment of the United Kingdom's budget. Maybe the hoopla results from the massive coverage given to another royal infant, Prince Andrew, and his dalliances with Koo Stark, among others. Who, or more to the point, what is a Koo Stark? Any why should we care what some third rate royal figure does with her, or she with he? All this leads Insight to ask if there exists a groundswell of popular interest in the Queen and her journeys to "Mellowland." A daily front page story in most every state newspaper, updates almost hourly on some radio stations, daily spots on TV news programs, etc., has left Insight ill. For example, during last week's round of Inclement weather every report on the ravages included a Queen angle. Were the aeax stormy? Then the Queen must fly to Kun KrancHwo. and not takf the royal yacht It's raining in Southern California, with storms and tornados running amok in the Los Angeles metro area? Well, the Queen had a tough time getting to the Reagan's ranch. We locals haven't been spared the blitz either. In the midst of the storms, a chunk of the road to Yosemite goes.belly-up. Landslides threaten to reclaim another 4,000 feet of roadway. A serious situation, and Caltrans engineers are ifchere, desperately trying to remedy the maidy. So what does at least one illustrious local TV news reporter ask a passing Caltrans spokesman: "Were you aware the Queen would be using this road to Yosemite?" Tell Mother Nature to cease and desist, the Queen must get through. The deaths of three Secret Service agents in a Valley traffic accident immediately forced a Queen tie in. The fact that these men were part of the Queen's security detail seems to of overshadowed the fact that three men died. We learned that the Queen was not happy that these souls had perished. It is unfortunate that the only really newsworthy aspect of the entire trek in the Valley had to involve death, and perhaps for that reason it shouldn't have been just an aspect. Had the accident not happened, the most newsworthy event would have been the San Diego mayor pro tern actually touching her Highness. The ultimate sin, to be sure. That maybe should have been the news climax: a silly event. Perhaps the vitriol is misplaced. If it weren't the Queen then it might be Mick Jager or Fernando Valenzuela or Eddie Murphy or any of a hundred other quasi celebrities that are created Perhaps that is the difference, in that the Queen is the Queen, by choice or not. Hut Insight is si ill sick of her ALAN ATAMIAN Mother Nature is still zapping us with strange weather. It seems like the Big Raisin keeps receiving wrinkled non-sequiturs from the heavens above. Could it be Armageddon? Well, I'm geddon a little tired of so many Christians feeling that they should know when Jesus Christ will make his second coming. I mean, really, "I Dream of Jeannie" hasn't even returned in new episodes. Since time immemorial, man has attempted to pinpoint this event. I believe strongly in Christ — my special human construct of Christ. - and I'm not worried about his return or what or whom or why or where, etc. Whether the Anti-Christ is in Cop- peropolis, Ca. or Moscow or anywhere else is immaterial to me. I'm just waiting and praying - and life goes on. The word Armageddon stems from the Hebrew "har," meaning "mountain," and "megiddon," or the "proverbial scene of decisive battles." This mountain is noted in Revelation 16:16, the exact digits of which appear in my telephone number. I now recall that many decisive battles have taken place on my phone, by tbe way. The number of tbe beast, 666, is another curious phenomenon. Tbe passage that refers to this is Revelation 13:16: "... Let him who has understanding calculate tbe number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number Is six hundred and sixty-six." Now I don't want to get caught up In a numeric witch hunt, but strange things have happened. A few weeks ago I was pondering what power Satan had to my life. I then pulled into a station and filled my tank up with premium. The valve shut off at $6.66 No lie It's either Satan or OPEC. On a smaller scale, quite a furor was caused In tbe speech department last week ensuing Dr. Ralph Hertn- ln«s" etymological contribution -Alan's Corner- Alas, it was not that a four-letter word ruffled anyone's feathers; rather it was my reference to Dr. Hen- nings as "affable." Yes, he is affable as was published last week; however, every other member of the speech faculty department, including the chairman, Dr. Hal Bochin is affable and personable also. (Check your schedules for classes and times hear you.) Tbe word for the week. At KFSR 90.7, there is a group on our playlist named "Blancmange." I promise to mention on my'radio show, from 2:00-5:00 p.m.. the meaning of the word. Pronounced "bUhn-mahnx," it is a dessert made from Irish moss, Isinglass, cornstarch arrowroot, and then boiled with mild milk. Happy Birthday Amerigo Vespucci THOMAS MCCLURE The Italian explorer and astronomer, Amerigo Vespucci, whose traditional family name, Amerigo, was given to the New World, was born March 9,1454. Buoyed by a humanistic education from his uncle, a Dominican priest, Vespucci gained an increasing interest in astronomy and exploration. In 1491, while working for a firm which fitted out ships for long voyages, Vespucci was to collaborate to tbe preparation of a ship for Christopher Columbus' second expedition and of others for his third. On tbe last occasion, Vespucci and Columbus became personally acquainted. Vespucci participated in two major voyages, although he claimed to have made four. His second and most important left from Lisbon, Spain, on May 13,1501. After a halt at the Cape Verde Islands, the expedition travelled towards the southwest and reached the coast (Of Brazil In January of 1502, the expedition discovered Bala de Guanabara (Rio de Janeiro's bay) and sailed as far as the Rio de la Plata, which Vespucci discovered. Veapuccci returned to Lisbon in July 1502. This voyage is of fundamental importance In the history of geographical discovery because Vespucci himself, and scholar* u • well, became convinced that the newly discovered lands were not part of Asia but a "New World." In 1507, a humanist, Martin Waldseemuller, reprinted at Sainte'Die in Lorraine the "Quatbjor Americl navigatlones" ( "Four American Voyages"), preceded by s pamphlet of his own entitled "Cosmographiae introduction' and he suggested that the newly discovered world be named "sb Americo Inven- tore ... quasi Americi terram sive Americam" ("from Amerigo tbe discoverer...as if it were the land of Americus or America"). Tbe proposal is perpetuated in a large planisphere of Waldseemuller's. to which the name America appears for the first Ume, although applied only to South America. The suggestion caught on; the extension of the name to North America, however, came Is ter. In 1508, the famous Casa de Con- tratacion de las Indies (Commercial House for the West Indies) appointed him chief navigator, a post of great responsibility, which included the examination of the pilots' and ships' masters' licenses for voyages. He also had to prepare tbe official map of newly discovered lands and of tbe routes to them. Interpreting and coordinating all data that the captains were obliged to furnish. Vespucci, who obtained Spanish citizenship in 1505. died in 1512
Object Description
Title | 1983_03 Insight March 1983 |
Alternative Title | Insight (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Dept. of Journalism, California State University, Fresno. |
Publication Date | 1983 |
Description | Weekly during the school year. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 8, 1969)-v. 29, no. 23 (May 13, 1998). Ceased with May 13, 1998, issue. Title from masthead. Merged with Daily collegian. |
Subject | California State University, Fresno Periodicals |
Contributors | California State University, Fresno Dept. of Journalism |
Coverage | October 8, 1969 – May 13, 1998 |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35mm |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 “E-image data” |
Language | eng |
Description
Title | Insight Mar 09 1983 p 2 |
Alternative Title | Insight (California State University, Fresno) |
Publication Date | 1983 |
Full-Text-Search | March 9, 1983 OPINION Insight Insight Insnthl is published on Wednesdays during the at.nkirnt yisir iv tht- tXfunmem ol JDumj/itm. (.ililomu Stall- University. Iresnti Unsig/yed edrtanah n'present the majority op-nkm til Ihe ldrttxi.il Hoard. All other columns, letters and artwork on /h»t p-w represent the tsptnnms of iheir rvspexthiv authors .ind nt* essanry that rrf InsK/hts PETER SCOTT, rsAior-.n-ch.rt ROBERT GAUTHIER. rruruitir* t**««r JEFF KRAUSE. phot., ,*i,„>, MICHAEL TODD otiaie edit,*-,**™*, CYNDI GUERRA. jsst*ute editn-uary BARBARA HAMBY. asvKiafr- rt*or-rntvt i KATHRYN KARIE, jiiVrrtisMK rNarffv Even Barbie ages SALLY PfcTTIS Watching our A.S.S. Tbe Associated Students Senate has been no stranger to controversy. From mishandling student funds to internal bickering between tbe senators, the senate has shown an obvious lack of responsibility and leadership. Insight believes many of the Senate's pro- : blems could be better handled if there were :an advisor to oversee the actions of the J legislative body. AS President Paul Canales, Legislative Vice President (LVP) Michele Davis and Administrative Vice President (AVP) George Santiago are paid representatives who are given no solid supervision. Theoretically, the student body is their boss and the constitution their rulebook. According to Article IV, Section B of the constitution, which outlines the qualifications for the executive officers, (President, LVP and AVP), there is no clause which requires any experience in government or any knowledge of governmental procedures. In fact, all requirements are academically related. Section B states: " To be eligible for nomination to office in the Associated Students a student must have a grade point average of 2.0 based on all college units attempted." "To be eligible for nomination -to the office of President, a^candidate must have completed, or be currently enrolled in sufficient units which upon completion of the semester prior to taking office will total at least 60 units of college work. Candidates for President must have completed the previous semester of college work at CSUF prior to nomination.'' "To be eligible for nomination, candidates for the office of LVP and AVP must have completed or enrolled in sufficient units which upon completion of the semester prior to taking office will total at least 30 units of college work." "Candidates for President, LVP and AVP must be currently enrolled at CSUF." Although the qualification clauses do reflect the democratic process of leaving the executive positions open to established citizens (students), they don't restrict the candidates to only qualified for the ] Student^-vo mistakes. They are J g pa th by a a ■iVTongpi P*fen. hose who are truly j». \ , **"■ ian, and do, make often led down the talker or a slick cam- Should an irresponsible officer, or body of officers, be elected, an advisor would be available to point them in the right direction. Last week's decision to investigate the Daily Collegian's budget after the newspaper requested $600 to fund Collegian participation in an annual journalism convention, was just the latest in a series of irresponsible actions by the Senate. The investigation isn't necessarily a bad decision, but the reasoning behind the decision is at best, petty. Senator Jim Gonzales was quoted as saying he "would like to see some investigation into the (Daily Collegian) budget to see how much pad you have." If Senator Gonzales along with other senate members were suspicious of the Daily Collegian's budget, why didn't they investigate the matter earlier? By using the funding request as a vehicle for the investigation shows a degree of disorganization and misappropriated ideas on the senate's part. The unallocated funds budget mixup earlier this semester, involving AVP George Santiago, was another example of disorganization and a cry for leadership. Should an advisor been overseeing Sanitiago's operation, there may not have been the mixup which resulted in an even more tarnished reputation for this schoof^ year's senate. Should there be an advisor, he/she— ...must be hired on a full-time basis and must have a background in government as well as financial planning. ' ...should oversee each meeting, to guard against any unnecessary actions or procedures by the senate. ...should have monthly consulting sessions with the senatorial body to critique theifac? tions, procedures, etc. ...should only be an advisor, not the boss; the AS president is the person in charge, the advisor is there to make sure the senate is run correctly. If this proposal were to be enacted, every person involved with the senate, including the student body, would benefit. The senators would have a chance to learn how a well-run government works and spend less time compensating for mistakes already made. The student body would be more willing to vote for a candidate, knowing they can trust an advisor to make sure the officer is making the most out of the students' funds. allowance each player receives as she passes home. In the early 1960s, it I guess I am what you might call a seems, a high school girl's chances for "backseat feminist." I mean, why earning money were numerous. She should I fight when I don't see could babysit, wash dishes, type let- anything to fight for? Take ERA, for ters and walk dogs, instance. I personally don't feel com- Along with vast income pelled to fight for it, mainly because I resources, alas, are vast expenses. A feel I'm treated pretty fairly right girl had to pay for club dues. Mother's now. birthday present, and visits to the The Tight has been long and hard, beauty shop. Also, a girl would have to and women have gained a lot, even if pay for football tickets and sodas "if the big ammendment hasn't been without a boyfriend." passed. Though many women have As the game objectives state, a endured stereotyping and being term- girl couldn't become queen of the ed "radicals," I think they have done prom until after she had purchased a a lot in improving the world-they formal dress. There are four to choose have openned a lot of eyes, and things from in the game, the least expensive have changed. being "Silken Flame" for S35, the Take the Barbie Game, for In- most being "Enchanted Evening" for stance. Copyrighted in 1960 by Mattel $65. Toys, the Barbie Game, "Queen of the The players must also become a Prom," claimed it was "a fun game club president of either the drama, with real-life appeal for all girls." I scholarship, athletic, or music clubs, look at it as a marker of achievement- As for boyfriends, there is a -that there aren't many games like it choice of Bob < with a blond crew-cut >. for sale today. Ken (wearing a green bow tie), Tom, The Barbie Game was supposed or Poindexter. You can enter a part of to be an authentic version of the strife the game called "On a date" only if for popularity of the high school girl of you have a boyfriend (Obtained by the early 60s. Unfortunately, the feel- either landing on his space or winning ing of this game is close enough to the him from a Surprise! card i. truth to be a little nauseating today. One of the Surprise! cards reads: The objectives of the game are as "You are voted most popular girl in follows: "Buy a formal dress, get a your class. If you need one, you may steady boyfriend, and be elected club choose any boyfriend who is not president These may be done in any taken, or. you may exchange your order. Then, go on to win the game by present boyfriend (unless he is your becoming QUEEN OF THE PROM." steady datei for any boyfriend not yet In order to buy the dress, there taken." are several ways of earning money - When "On a date." the player the most reliable being the , $5 may encounter many "real-life"' dating experiences. She may land on a space that reads: "He criticizes your hair-do. Go to the beauty shop," or "He talks about cars with dad. Wait here." or. the lucky space: "He askes you to go steady. Celebrate at beach party." After the player has completed all the necessary objectives, she can move on to toe Prom. Yet danger is present even here! Before she lands the tiUe of Queen, she may have the misfortune of delay: "Too bad! Your hem's down. Go to dad's car and pin it up." If the type of attitude that is represented in this game was still present, I - "Stop to chat with girlfriend, lose one turn" - might get upset enough to take a stand. I've always been one of those girls who was disappointed when she received a dollhouse instead of loc blocs and trucks (so I could build my own houses). If the "real-life appeal" of young women in the 1960s only involved shopping, dating and extra-curricular activities (I've purposely avoided the game's rendition of 'school activities' which include losing textbooks and having to return home because of a headache, because it's too insulting. I and nothing else, then I can thoroughly understand why a revolution was needed. Let's hope we don't fall back into this type of demeaning philosophy. Sally Pettis is a junior journalism major who claims dorm food has given her a mental problem. She is one of the normally silent production staff or Insight. life is - SCtZINQ AT LEAST ONE LIVE HOME GAME BEFORE GRADUATION REALLY! ItWCiWas Say 'Bye Bye' Liz Anyone sick about hearing of the Queen of England or any of her doings either here or back home can count the Insight as company. So Queen Elizabeth II has come to California. The Insight would rather see the ship. It's not the person of the Queen that is so upsetting, but rather the attendant hoopla. After all, Liz can hardly help being who she is. It's doubtful that of all the babies lined up in heaven waiting to be born that she yanked on the Almighty's robe and asked to be the Royal Infant Perhaps a lot of the hype results because of the big response to the wedding of Chuck and Di. News of those two reminds us of the similarities between fish and company, as pointed out by Benjamin Franklin. After three days, they all stink. So why is it that most of us could name the offspring of Chuck and Di's union? It's not as if the throne has any power, except over a small segment of the United Kingdom's budget. Maybe the hoopla results from the massive coverage given to another royal infant, Prince Andrew, and his dalliances with Koo Stark, among others. Who, or more to the point, what is a Koo Stark? Any why should we care what some third rate royal figure does with her, or she with he? All this leads Insight to ask if there exists a groundswell of popular interest in the Queen and her journeys to "Mellowland." A daily front page story in most every state newspaper, updates almost hourly on some radio stations, daily spots on TV news programs, etc., has left Insight ill. For example, during last week's round of Inclement weather every report on the ravages included a Queen angle. Were the aeax stormy? Then the Queen must fly to Kun KrancHwo. and not takf the royal yacht It's raining in Southern California, with storms and tornados running amok in the Los Angeles metro area? Well, the Queen had a tough time getting to the Reagan's ranch. We locals haven't been spared the blitz either. In the midst of the storms, a chunk of the road to Yosemite goes.belly-up. Landslides threaten to reclaim another 4,000 feet of roadway. A serious situation, and Caltrans engineers are ifchere, desperately trying to remedy the maidy. So what does at least one illustrious local TV news reporter ask a passing Caltrans spokesman: "Were you aware the Queen would be using this road to Yosemite?" Tell Mother Nature to cease and desist, the Queen must get through. The deaths of three Secret Service agents in a Valley traffic accident immediately forced a Queen tie in. The fact that these men were part of the Queen's security detail seems to of overshadowed the fact that three men died. We learned that the Queen was not happy that these souls had perished. It is unfortunate that the only really newsworthy aspect of the entire trek in the Valley had to involve death, and perhaps for that reason it shouldn't have been just an aspect. Had the accident not happened, the most newsworthy event would have been the San Diego mayor pro tern actually touching her Highness. The ultimate sin, to be sure. That maybe should have been the news climax: a silly event. Perhaps the vitriol is misplaced. If it weren't the Queen then it might be Mick Jager or Fernando Valenzuela or Eddie Murphy or any of a hundred other quasi celebrities that are created Perhaps that is the difference, in that the Queen is the Queen, by choice or not. Hut Insight is si ill sick of her ALAN ATAMIAN Mother Nature is still zapping us with strange weather. It seems like the Big Raisin keeps receiving wrinkled non-sequiturs from the heavens above. Could it be Armageddon? Well, I'm geddon a little tired of so many Christians feeling that they should know when Jesus Christ will make his second coming. I mean, really, "I Dream of Jeannie" hasn't even returned in new episodes. Since time immemorial, man has attempted to pinpoint this event. I believe strongly in Christ — my special human construct of Christ. - and I'm not worried about his return or what or whom or why or where, etc. Whether the Anti-Christ is in Cop- peropolis, Ca. or Moscow or anywhere else is immaterial to me. I'm just waiting and praying - and life goes on. The word Armageddon stems from the Hebrew "har," meaning "mountain," and "megiddon," or the "proverbial scene of decisive battles." This mountain is noted in Revelation 16:16, the exact digits of which appear in my telephone number. I now recall that many decisive battles have taken place on my phone, by tbe way. The number of tbe beast, 666, is another curious phenomenon. Tbe passage that refers to this is Revelation 13:16: "... Let him who has understanding calculate tbe number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number Is six hundred and sixty-six." Now I don't want to get caught up In a numeric witch hunt, but strange things have happened. A few weeks ago I was pondering what power Satan had to my life. I then pulled into a station and filled my tank up with premium. The valve shut off at $6.66 No lie It's either Satan or OPEC. On a smaller scale, quite a furor was caused In tbe speech department last week ensuing Dr. Ralph Hertn- ln«s" etymological contribution -Alan's Corner- Alas, it was not that a four-letter word ruffled anyone's feathers; rather it was my reference to Dr. Hen- nings as "affable." Yes, he is affable as was published last week; however, every other member of the speech faculty department, including the chairman, Dr. Hal Bochin is affable and personable also. (Check your schedules for classes and times hear you.) Tbe word for the week. At KFSR 90.7, there is a group on our playlist named "Blancmange." I promise to mention on my'radio show, from 2:00-5:00 p.m.. the meaning of the word. Pronounced "bUhn-mahnx," it is a dessert made from Irish moss, Isinglass, cornstarch arrowroot, and then boiled with mild milk. Happy Birthday Amerigo Vespucci THOMAS MCCLURE The Italian explorer and astronomer, Amerigo Vespucci, whose traditional family name, Amerigo, was given to the New World, was born March 9,1454. Buoyed by a humanistic education from his uncle, a Dominican priest, Vespucci gained an increasing interest in astronomy and exploration. In 1491, while working for a firm which fitted out ships for long voyages, Vespucci was to collaborate to tbe preparation of a ship for Christopher Columbus' second expedition and of others for his third. On tbe last occasion, Vespucci and Columbus became personally acquainted. Vespucci participated in two major voyages, although he claimed to have made four. His second and most important left from Lisbon, Spain, on May 13,1501. After a halt at the Cape Verde Islands, the expedition travelled towards the southwest and reached the coast (Of Brazil In January of 1502, the expedition discovered Bala de Guanabara (Rio de Janeiro's bay) and sailed as far as the Rio de la Plata, which Vespucci discovered. Veapuccci returned to Lisbon in July 1502. This voyage is of fundamental importance In the history of geographical discovery because Vespucci himself, and scholar* u • well, became convinced that the newly discovered lands were not part of Asia but a "New World." In 1507, a humanist, Martin Waldseemuller, reprinted at Sainte'Die in Lorraine the "Quatbjor Americl navigatlones" ( "Four American Voyages"), preceded by s pamphlet of his own entitled "Cosmographiae introduction' and he suggested that the newly discovered world be named "sb Americo Inven- tore ... quasi Americi terram sive Americam" ("from Amerigo tbe discoverer...as if it were the land of Americus or America"). Tbe proposal is perpetuated in a large planisphere of Waldseemuller's. to which the name America appears for the first Ume, although applied only to South America. The suggestion caught on; the extension of the name to North America, however, came Is ter. In 1508, the famous Casa de Con- tratacion de las Indies (Commercial House for the West Indies) appointed him chief navigator, a post of great responsibility, which included the examination of the pilots' and ships' masters' licenses for voyages. He also had to prepare tbe official map of newly discovered lands and of tbe routes to them. Interpreting and coordinating all data that the captains were obliged to furnish. Vespucci, who obtained Spanish citizenship in 1505. died in 1512 |