Panning the UPC process

Someone is going to pay, and it looks like it will be the students again - if not from their pocketbooks then from their social lives.

The University Programming Council, which sponsors various events on campus, announced it has only $8,000 left to pay for programs for the rest of the school year.

UPC said its small budget is because of lack of student support for previous events, such as the Rusted Root concert which lost $16,000.

Another glitch in programming this year is the renovation of Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. Movies and other programs usually shown in Mem Aud are being shown in smaller venues, such as Mitchell Auditorium in Seigfred Hall or Grover Center. In these places UPC pays between $1,100 and $1,700 per program for seats, a video projection system and staffing. These venues also have less seating, which means less revenue.

Either way UPC loses - and so do the students.

The university needs to give UPC a break on these high prices. But UPC needs to do their part to solve their monetary woes. One solution might be a financial advisor - an outside voice who could guide UPC from year to year.

The group lacks year-to-year stability. Each year the UPC committee heads change, along with their ideas about what are the most important events for the university. Chairpersons of the various committees need to sit down together to choose the best programming possible for the students. A lot of give and take is needed. If the concert committee can secure an outstanding band, then the movie committee must be willing to give up some of its programs.

Another suggestion to help UPC get back on its feet is to cut back on small events that bring in less money. Focus on the most important events. Give us a quality concert, a cheap movie and a fun activity for us to take our moms, dads and siblings to on their respective weekends, and we'll be happy.

UPC programs that have competition from other university sponsors, such as UPC lectures and the Kennedy Lecture Series, need to be re-examined to see if the competition is worthwhile.

Until some sacrifices are made to save money and some assistance is offered for guidance, UPC will remain in the same position it is now - without enough money to serve students.

Not immune to her actions

The issue is immunity. It's not if she had sex with him or how many presents she received from him. The issue is immunity. Now let's clear our minds for the rest of this and just think about immunity.

The three options Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern who (oh, you know who she is), is facing are full immunity, limited immunity or no immunity. Lewinsky's lawyer William Ginsburg wants full immunity for his client, but independent council Kenneth Starr doesn't want to give Lewinsky any immunity from prosecution. The no immunity option is unacceptable to Ginsburg. So the only compromise left is limited immunity.

We agree with this. We realize Lewinsky might have been asked to lie by the president, but we also know she was a 21-year-old woman who knew what she was doing when she conversed with him.

So limited immunity it is. Will the truth come out? We only wish.

Now that Lewinsky will be protected in some areas, even if she does spill the beans, it won't do any good. In the testimony in which she is not protected, Lewinsky might not be willing to give the whole truth if it could negatively affect her.

So now we're back to square one, still wondering what Lewinsky's story is and if she will ever be able to tell it. Limited immunity might be the incentive Lewinsky needs to testify. We hope so, and the country's waiting to hear what she has to say.