Western Front - 1975 October 17

              Tibetan Folk Group coming to Western
causing international controversy
by GREG COHEN
The Lhamo Folk Opera of Tibet, expected at
Western Tuesday, is a moving international
incident as far as the People's Republic of China
is concerned. The U.S. State Department
disagrees.
The controversy began Monday when a foreign
ministry spokesman in Peking accused the U .S. of
"undisguised interference in China's internal
affairs" by permitting the Dalai Lama's support­ers
to operate in the U.S., according to a
UPI report.
The Lhamo Folk Opera will appear Tuesday at
8 p.m. in Western's Music Auditorium. The
performance is co-sponsored by the A.S.
Program Commission and the College of Ethnic
Studies.
According to a State Department spokesman
this is not the first time Peking has criticized the
U.S. for allowing foreign groups to perform in
this country.
This attack, however, comes barely a week
before Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger's
scheduled arrival in Peking to finalize arrange­ments
for President Ford's first visit to China.
What effect this criticism might have on
Sino-American relations is unknown, but the
State Department's officer-in-charge of Chinese
Affairs, Peter Smith, told the Front "I would have
no reason to believe this would have an impact
on our broader relations with China."
The Lhamo Folk Opera began its interna­tional
tour in June at the Vienna Festival and
since has appeared in a number of cities in the
U.S. and Canada. They will be performing in
Victoria, B.C., today and will arrive in Belling-ham
Monday.
The group is composed of followers of the
Dalai Lama who fled Himalaya in 1959 when
China invaded their homeland. Since then they
have moved to India where they have continued
to preserve their artistic heritage.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17,1975 VOL.68 NO.7
Recovery of stolen property down, says security
by HARRY McFARLAND
The 1974-5 annual report of Western's Safety
and Security department revealed that the re­covery
rate of stolen property has dropped sig­nificantly,
thousands of parking citations were
issued, and firearms proficiency training was
paid for partly by the college.
Several members of the department will be
commissioned as peace officers by college presi­dent
Paul Olscamp sometime in the near future.
In 1973-74, $55,642 of state and private
property was stolen and 43 per cent of that was
recovered. Of $40,627 taken in 1974-75, only 10.3
per cent was recovered.
Lt. Lee Brown of security said there are two
reasons for the recovery rate drop. First, in
years past a major item has been taken, such as
. a $15,000 synthesizer taken during one period.
This raised both dollar amounts, since it was
rec3vered that year. No really expensive items
were taken last year.
The second reason, Brown said, was the lack
of a data base on larceny and burglary to draw
conclusions, which would aid in recovering the
stolen items.
He said most felonies are committed by
off-campus persons. One man arrested recently
had a Florida address.
The department issued 17,808 parking cita­tions
last academic year, but only 3,705 were
paid. The reasons cited for most violations were
LEE BROWN
no permit, parking out of their area, and parking
in a no-parking zone.
Brown said the return rate was insignificant,
because any law enforcement agency that tries
to run on a profit basis is known as a "speed
trap."
"The parking system is working," Brown said.
"I, like everyone else, think there is a need for
more space. Until it is available, the department
will have to operate in the same manner."
Of 88 total hours in firearms proficiency
training, 26 hours were paid by the department.
The rest were volunteered by the officers.
This training was stopped by the department
director, R.G. Peterson, when Olscamp said he
felt the training would not benefit the campus.
Firearms for the security force were forbid­den
by a resolution passed by the Board of
Trustees last August.
Olscamp said a "tiny portion of the security
office budget" was used for the purchase of
ammunition.
Commissioning of the security force will not
come until he is ready, Olscamp said.
He will ask the officers to take a course in
human relations and minority affairs offered by
the College of Ethnic Studies. This will be part of
the commissioning process.
After the course is completed and he has seen
the officers' qualifications, Olscamp said he will
commission them.
As to when, he said he "had a hunch that it
will be this quarter."
KU6S off the air temporarily
due to malfunctioning equipment
r
If you recently have tried to
tune in KUGS-FM (89.31 it's
likely all you heard is static.
The station has been off the air
since Sunday due to equipment
problems.
"Malfunctioning equipment
was causing a considerable
amount of static," said Jim
Dodd, station program direc­tor.
The signal of the station
was distorted to such a degree
by the electrical problemsJhal_,
reception was nearly impos­sible.
A check of the station's
equipment last weekend re­vealed,
"two vacuum tubes and
other small components were
malfunctioning causing air
leakage into the units," Dodd
said. On Monday the station
contacted a number of local
electronic supply houses to
obtain the needed tubes, but
the tubes were not in stock.
"We could only get the
replacements from a Seattle
warehouse," Dodd said.
"Hopefully KUGS will receive
the parts in time to be back on
the air by tonight."
Once the new parts, valued
at under seven dollars, are
installed, station officials say
KUGS's signal quality will be
greatly improved.
IriSide
Mama Sundays a place for students
Mama Sundays is Western's version of a mid 1960 s Greenwich
' Village coffee house. See story page 5.
Harriers run for the money
K.
Prestige and money will be the goals for the Viking cross-country
team this weekend. Western will be defending its own Invitational
title tomorrow morning and running to raise travel money in the
evening. See pg. 11. J