news both good and bad • Persian Gulf • Presidential campaigns • Oliver North In the last year, many changes have taken place; some for the better and some for the worse. The world around us has changed a great deal. The face of America will never be the same again. Preachers used to be the most respected men on earth. However, the tele-evangelists have hurt the reputation of preacher everywhere. The PTL was rocked with the scandal of Jim Bakker's tryst with Jessica Hahn, a church secretary. The trust of the religious community was further tested when the Bakker's extravagant lifestyle was exposed. Bakker was forced to resign his position as head of the PTL as Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell took control. Another minister forced to give up the pulpit was Assembly of God preacher Jimmy Swaggart. He was accused of "sexual misconduct" after a photo was discovered showing Swaggart at a motel with a prostitute. These incidents hurt not only the teleevangelists themselves, but the Christian community as a whole because of the mistrust these men have brought on themselves . Preachers were not the only ones getting themselves into sexual trouble. Gary Hart , the Democratic front-runner in the 1988 Presidential election, saw his support vanish after it was disclosed that he spent the weekend with Donna Rice, a Miami model. The intense media coverage forced Hart out of the race, while many complained that the media was going too far in exposing Hart's personal life and relating it to his ability to function as a leader. Hart later reentered the race , but his credibility and support were gone as he finished at the bottom in the early caucuses and primaries. The Iran-Contra hearings captured headlines in the summer of 1987. As many were upset to see their favorite soaps pr.e-empted, they soon learned that these hearings were much more exciting. Lt. Col. Oliver North emerged as a hero for doing what he thought was right. His documentshredding secretary, Fawn Hall 44 World news Student Life • Airplane crashes • Arkanas Mass murders • Jim and Tammy Bakker also claimed she was simply following the orders of her superior and thought she was doing the right thing. The IranContra hearings were mainly inconclusive, in that they did not reveal how much key figures , such as President Reagan , really knew. The stock market took an incredible blow in 1987 as the Dow Jones Industrial .Average plummeted an unprecedented 508.32 points. This 22 % drop was the greatest in United States history, almost doubling the drop in 1929 which started the Great Depression. Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton suffered a staggering $1.5 billion loss in the value of his company 's stock, but said simply, " It's paper, anyway. It was paper when we started and it's paper afterward ." Not everyone shared Walton 's view, as economists predicted a recession. The relatively peaceful state of Arkansas received a great shock in 1987. In November, Dr. John Markle of Little Rock shot and killed his wife and two daughters as they slept before killing himself. The reason for the crime seemed to be the termination of his employment with Stephens, Inc. , an investment firm . Only a month later, R. Gene Simmons went on a shooting spree in Russellville, killing two people. After his arrest , police went to the home and found the bodies of "We need to put things in perspective. The national media, and many brokers themselves, have been far too negative about the events of last fall. Ifgloom-and-doom were nutritional, some of them could feed the world. I believe that the 1980's and beyond, will emerge as superior. And you can take that to the bank." - Dr. Don Diffine Professor of Economics • Gary Hart • Jimmy Swaggert • Stock Market crash fourteen of his family members. This was the largest family mass murder in U.S. history, but one of the first crimes of its kind in which the killer does not commit suicide. While there have been many airplane crashes in recent months, perhaps none was so terrible as the Northwest Airlines flight out of Detroit Metropolitan Airport on August 16. The plane's wing clipped the top of an Avis car rental building shortly after takeoff, and crashed under an overpass of 1-94. Cecilia Cichan , age 4 , was the plane's only survivor. The whole nation seemed joined together in trying to help this little girl return to health. Another child who captured the hearts of America was 18-monthold Jessica McClure. As she stood trapped in a well , it appeared as if the country was digging along with her rescuers to get her out. After spending two days and 12 hours in the well without food or water, she was freed . This year has been affected by scandal and tragedy, but also by joy. The events of this year have affected the world so that nothing will be the same. Just as the world has been changed and shaped by these events, so have we. We must be willing to reflect on the past year and learn from it. After all, next year will be totally different. - Wade Bray ' 1It was very upsetting to realize that this could happen in small town Arkansas. I always think ofpeople being so involved in each others ' lives that a problem of this magnitude couldn't go unnoticea. Not only is it a great tragedy on a personal level but it is just another piece ofbad publicity for Arkansas." - Christine Kernodle Arkansas resident "Once every four years the Amen can people elect a President and 1988 is one of those election years. Since there is no incumbent President running for re-election , this year's election is a wide-open affair. Delegates to the national party conventions in Atlanta and New Orleans are being sought by a large number of Democratic and Republican candidates in state caucuses and primaries. Democrats running are Dukakis (Mass.) , Gephardt (Mo.), Gore (Tenn) , Simon (Ill.) , Jackson (Ill .), and Hart (Co.). Among the Republicans running are Dole (Kan .), Bush (Tx .), Robertson (SC), and Kemp (NY). Whoever the new President is, he will be elected by a minority of the American people because just over 50 % of the eligible voters will go to the polls on November 8 proving again that 'apathocracy' is alive and well in the United States." - Dr. Tom Howard Professor of Political Science "Gary Hart 's escapade was unfortunate, but true to the reality of today 's society. If the event was the media invading our own private lives in a similar way, we would be justifiably incensed. But when we thrust ourselves into the public view, as public servants and public figures do, we are subject to a more stringent set of requirements. The press has not only the right but also a responsibility to record and publish the events, because the public's right to know is greater than the right to privacy. There are limits, of course, but everything in public view is accountable and a reflection of that individual." - Mike James Instructor of Communication
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